


Amor fati

by Verdan (Dandie)



Category: K-pop, Mamamoo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, Original Character(s), POV Multiple, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2020-03-20 10:32:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 44,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18990892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dandie/pseuds/Verdan
Summary: Yongsun is a bounty hunter who is always ready to give her service to the people. Moonbyul, her partner, longs to forget a past that keeps catching up to her. Wheein finds herself thrust into a world she has no idea about, fighting back an inner beast that wishes to devour her mind. Hyejin hopes to help her friend, while remembering to keep her head up the surface lest she drowns herself. A red string tightly winds itself around these four women as they try to survive in a world out to get them. High Fantasy AU. Supernatural AU.Chapter 6:Wheein wakes up to learn after running from bounty hunters that they're in the presence of another.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** This story does not follow any existing historical events. Everything written within is purely fictional and written for entertainment purposes only. Any names shared with existing persons/places/etc. do not in any way represent actual personality/culture/etc.
> 
>  **Note:** The setting is medieval with a mix of Asian culture thrown in here and there. I'll be borrowing some mythical creatures from different mythologies - both from known western and eastern mythologies. If you have a certain creature in mind, please comment down below and I might be able to throw it in somewhere in the story. Maybe. Idk haha

The sky had long turn dark with the stars brightly littering the heavens. The sound of the wind against the rafters brought a sense of ease and familiarity to Seowoo. She had already retired to their bed, waiting for Ryohei to slip in next to her. Her husband had been agitated for the past few days and wanted to check the barn before settling in.

Someone had been stealing their chickens from their coops and she couldn't convince him to retire in his usual schedule. He was quite adamant that their neighbor was the one who had been stealing them.

Seowoo jumped as she heard a loud bang followed by some cursing.

"Fuckin' wind!" She heard the front door slam shut, the sound of boots stomping along the wooden floorboards.

"You alright, luv?" She called out.

"Yes!" She could hear Ryohei walking around the living room, the sound of his belt and boots dropping to the ground. She heard before she saw Ryohei entering their room, a look of frustration on his face.

Her lips curved into a smile, "Oh, they'll be fine."

"Not with Wangho stalking our coop," he grumbled in reply, pulling the covers and collapsing next to her.

Seowoo sat up in alarm. "Did you see him?"

He shook his head. "No, but I swear to gods he was there."

"Might just be the wind, Ryo." Seowoo ran a hand along his hair in an attempt to calm him.

"If I see him, his missus better not complain to me if he's missing his head."

"Ryo!"

Ryohei laughed. "I'm just joking, luv. I'll fuck him up a little, but I won't rip off his head."

Seowoo shook her head, settling comfortably next to her husband. "Well, goodnight then," she said, tone clipped.

Ryohei chuckled, wrapping an arm around her and settling it protectively over her abdomen. "Goodnight, Seowoo."

Seowoo jerked awake a little later from a loud banging sound. Ryohei stirred next to her, carefully sitting up. They remained silent, listening for more noises. The barn doors banged open, followed by the distressed sounds of their cows.

"On seven hells," Ryohei cursed, throwing off the covers.

"Ryohei," Seowoo started, sitting up. A sickening weight has settled in her stomach, she felt like something was wrong and she didn't want Ryohei leaving the house.

"I'll be just a minute, luv," he said at seeing the worry on her face. "Just gonna give him a good scare, maybe ruffle him up a bit. I won't be long."

"Ryo," her voice trailed off, feeling helpless as she watched her husband stomp out of the room. The sickening feeling has gravitated to her throat, making her feel choked. She slipped off the bed, walking to the living room only to see Ryohei leaving out the back door with a plow and a lit lantern in his hands. "Ryo!" She called to him once more but only for the wind to the drown out her voice, the door swinging shut behind him.

She watched through the window as Ryohei approached the barn. The doors were swinging open. She felt alarmed as she saw the wooden beam keeping the doors locked lay broken at the side. When Ryohei passed it, she knew then that he didn't noticed it. She slipped on her boots, opening the door only to stop in her tracks.

She shivered against the cold wind, hands struggling to keep the door from slamming shut. She could hear the agitated noises of the cattle, even more louder than before. As she was about to step out, she froze. There was something primal at the back of her head screaming at her to go back, to lock up, to hide. She could feel something evil lurking within the barn, she wanted to call out to her husband, shout at him to come back and perhaps just check the animals come morning but her voice refused to leave her throat.

"Hey!" She heard Ryohei shout, then he suddenly yelped. The cattle cried even more loudly than before, like an unholy chorus of tortured souls. Her heart felt like breaking, she knew then that something awful came on to him.

Then she heard Ryohei call out to her.

"Seowoo." A chill ran up her spine.

It was his voice, but Seowoo knew there was something wrong with it.

_"Seowoo."_

There in the darkness, something moved.

She slammed the door shut, bolting up. She ran to their shared room, locking the door behind her. She curled against the door, placing a hand against her abdomen and a hand tight against her mouth as she sobbed. Her heart raced within her chest, a primal fear keeping her frozen in her place. She could hear Ryohei call out to her, but she knew it wasn't him.

The cries of the cattle and Ryohei's voice haunted her throughout the night.

* * *

The southern side of Kongju were mostly high rising hills; forests filled with wild boars, good hunting grounds and who knows what else; bordered by mountains at the western side. Rice paddies dotted the hillsides, before dipping and continuing on to the flat lands. The farmland meant less trees to give shade against the morning sun. It also meant the heat behind Yongsun was hotter than compared when they were still shaded within the forest.

"Byulyi, can't you scoot a bit?"

"Scoot where? This is as far as I can go without falling off," came Byulyi's reply.

"Ugh, even your breathing is making me sweat," Yongsun added with a whine, wiping the back of her neck. Byulyi, being the little shit that she was, blew. "Yah!"

Jingjing, a grey dappled mare, huffed as her passengers wrestled on top her, the saddle digging on her back while her master bickered with her partner. They thankfully stopped when one fell with a thud.

"Yah!" Byulyi called from the ground, dust covering her black leather coat.

Yongsun couldn't help but laugh at her partner. "That's what you get!" Yongsun kicked Jingjing into a light trot.

"Oi!" Byulyi shouted, running after them. Yongsun laughed, but in a burst of speed, Byulyi smoothly jumped back into place behind her. "Very funny."

"Ugh, you smell." Byulyi looked even more sweaty than she did before she pushed her off Jingjing.

"You don't exactly smell like roses either," Byulyi shot back, an annoyed look on her face.

Yongsun felt a bit sorry. "We should get you a new horse," she said instead. "And we're going to buy one this time."

"Hey! Spots was good for the whole three weeks that I knew him!"

Byulyi's horse 'Spots' was horribly eaten by an _imugi_ , which they subsequently killed. Byulyi was inconsolable for the first few minutes before she got over it the next day, seeing as Spots wasn't exactly her horse and was 'illegally borrowed' as she would like to say.

Now that they were approaching Gusan, a town known for its livestock, Yongsun hoped to get a new horse for Byulyi as she had her fill of having to share Jingjing's saddle with an overgrown child.

Speaking of livestock, she could already hear Byulyi gagging behind her. Sometimes it still surprised her how strong Byulyi's sense of smell could be seeing as they were still a ways away from the town.

The ride to the town was relatively peaceful, albeit uncomfortable with the shared heat between them and the unbearing sun. The farmers who saw them greeted them as they passed, making Yongsun feel at ease. As they get closer, Yongsun could finally smell the mixed stench of domesticated animals and feces.

The town center sat on top of a hill, while the farms and the pens lay at the outskirts of the town—perhaps in an attempt to lessen the smell from reaching the residential area. Yongsun directed Jingjing towards the inn, leading the mare to a stablehand who gratefully took her horse and her extra coins—a little extra just so he wouldn't even think of stealing from her saddlebag.

"I could use a drink," Byulyi said, stretching her arms out as she made her way towards the inn. She turned back around when she noticed Yongsun not following.

“We should at least report in firs—” Before Yongsun could finish her sentence, Byulyi jogged back towards her, and started dragging her towards the inn.

“Drinks first,” Byulyi repeated, voice firm. Yongsun merely rolled her eyes, allowing her partner to drag her towards the bar where a man was wiping it down. He was quite huge and he easily towered over them. Yongsun could imagine him throwing out unruly guests with ease. His head was shaved clean and he was sporting a rather thick beard.

He looked up from his work as they got closer, a huge scar ran down the left side of his face but there was a smile on his lips. Immediately, Yongsun felt relaxed—the man looked as friendly as the farmers.

“Sorry ladies, nothing cold today,” the barkeep spoke up before Byulyi could even ask.

“That’s fine, just ale or whatever,” Byuly replied, waving a dismissive hand as she sat on one of the stools. Yongsun gingerly took a seat next to her as she glanced around.

There was something homey about the inn; the owner must be a hunter as mounted heads of stags decorated the walls; at one corner of the room sat a fireplace and a bear’s pelt right in front of it; there were trophies of hunts everywhere. But as she was looking around, Yongsun noticed that her and Byulyi were the only guests.

Well, Yongsun had a small hunch why that would be.

“Ladies.” Two large mugs of ale was placed before them. Yongsun nodded in thanks, cradling the warm mug between her hands.

“Yong.” Byulyi was looking at her expectantly. Yongsun sighed, already knowing what her partner wanted. She took a deep breath, reaching within herself and touching that well of power. A coldness gathered within her core, traveling up her limbs and into her hands, prickling like a thousand needles from her palms and her fingers. In a moment, condensation started to gather around what used to be a warm mug.

Byulyi grinned, snatching the now-cold mug from her hands before she could even react. She bit back a scolding and instead took the other warm mug that Byulyi had pushed to the side and repeated the spell.

She looked up to see the barkeep staring at her with wide surprised eyes. Sometimes she kept forgetting how strange it looked for others to see her use her magicke. It wasn’t exactly a welcomed sight to see women using magicke out in the open.

Clearing her throat, Yongsun raised a pendant of a wolf’s head. The barkeep’s eyes went wider.

“Bounty hunter?” he said, voice high with disbelief.

“Yes.” Yongsun cracked what she hoped was a reassuring smile, stuffing the pendant back within her coat.

“Then—” the man suddenly paused. He leaned over the counter, looking around as if searching for hidden eyes. “You’re here for _it?”_

She kicked Byulyi before she could even release a small chortle. The barkeep glanced at Byulyi as she yelped.

“Yes, we’re here for… ‘it’...” Yongsun said carefully, shifting in her seat as the man returned his attention back to her. “Do you happen to have any information on whatever it is?”

The man was shaking his head while Yongsun was still speaking. His face had turned pale then and sweat started to gather at his temples.

“N–no! I haven’t seen a thing. I know nothing.”

Yongsun side-glanced at Byulyi but she looked disinterested at the man’s sudden reaction, sipping sporadically at her drink instead.

“But you’ve heard of it?” Yongsun asked. The man clearly looked agitated and Yongsun wondered how big this job could be to actually scare a grown man shitless.

He visibly calmed himself, using the rag he had been using to wipe the sweat on his face—Yongsun’s lip twitched at the sight. “Only whispers, I swear!” he said in a loud hushed voice, “People come here sometimes, searching for _it,_ but it’s a _demon._ None that has seen it returned here.”

Yongsun nodded slowly, her mind racing.

“It’s a beast. A monster. It killed all those men, even our livestocks. It would eat them all up, barely even leaving anything behind,” he added, voice grave. “You ladies should leave this place instead—”

Byulyi suddenly sat up, turning around in her seat. Yongsun glanced behind her, seeing a group of men entering the inn. There were three of them, with the one in the middle clearly of different standing, wearing clean and expensive clothes, leather boots and buckle absent of mud. He looked in his mid-forties, dark hair clipped evenly with grey peppering the sides, finished by a thin strip of hair that lay at the top of his lip. His face still looked quite youthful despite the greying hair, with hints of aging lines at the corner of his eyes and between his brows. The other two with him were obviously town guards, both carrying a sword at their sides.

“Sunghyun! I’ve heard we have guests?” the well-dressed man asked as they approached the bar.

Sunghyun, the barkeep straightened in attention, the fear on his face turning into relief. He bowed his head in respect. “Minjae, sir.”

Yongsun stood as she saw this—not without nudging Byulyi too who clumsily followed her lead, still sipping on her drink. “Minjae?” Yongsun repeated, “You were the one who sent the request to the guild?”

Minjae smiled widely, nodding his head. “Indeed. We’ve been waiting for your arrival,” he paused, his eyes going to the half-drank mugs. “It seems I’ve interrupted you?”

Yongsun smiled sheepishly. “It’s been a long journey for us…”

“Oh! Of course! Where are my manners?” Minjae cleared his throat, “Should we return later, perhaps?”

“No,” Yongsun shook her head, “We’ll just finish up.” Yongsun looked over to her partner only to see her already chugging down the rest of her drink, then taking hers and downing it in one go. “Well, looks like we’re good to go,” Yongsun said dryly. Byulyi merely grinned in reply.

“Excellent!” Minjae clapped his hands. “Please, follow me."

Yongsun dropped coins on the bar—enough to cover more than two mugs of ale—and shot Sunghyun a sheepish smile.

They followed Minjae and his guards just across the inn, passing a group of gossiping wives standing just the side of the building they were heading to.

“Ladies!” Minjae called out to them. They bowed in response, greeting him demurely then scurrying away.

Yongsun glanced over at Byulyi, but her face was scrunched up while holding a hand to her nose. She raised a brow to which Byulyi just shrugged at, making a face, mouthing something about smelling shit. Yongsun then realized this investigation might get harder than she thought.

The building was more of a house than an official's building when they entered. It was well decorated; there was a small shrine just at the entrance way, complete with small golden idols of the Holy Seven—the Holy Matron more prominent than the others. The two guards took their places by the entrance way while Minjae led them through the living room to what looked like his office.

The office was sparsely decorated compared to the entrance, with bits of knick-knacks here and there. A man, looking older than Minjae, was already waiting for them there. He was standing by the bookshelves that occupied one side of the room, flipping through a book disinterestedly. Yongsun took note of his well manicured clothes and mudded boots.

“Please, take a sit.” Minjae gestured over a pair of well-leathered chairs before his table, then taking a seat behind his desk.

The older man walked closer to them then.

“You're hiring women now, Minjae?” he suddenly asked, his nose upturned as if smelled something distasteful, his eyes roving up and down their forms.

Yongsun didn't need to look to know Byulyi bristling at her side. Instead, she smiled, her dimples prominently in display. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Solar, a bounty hunter," then she gestured towards Byulyi, who was shooting daggers at him, "and this is my partner, Moonbyul."

The old man seemed disarmed by her politeness and the contrasting hostility of her partner. He merely sniffed in reply,  walking back to his place by the shelves, arms crossed and his back to them.

Minjae cleared his throat. "Please forgive Mister Kim, his livestock has been mostly targeted by the monster and it's been affecting his business."

"Oh, it's alright." Yongsun waved the apology away, "Please, tell me more of this monster?"

"Yes," Minjae shifted in his seat, crossing his fingers in front of him as if he's about to speak in prayer. "It's been attacking Gusan's farms and killing our livestock. It's even scared some of the workers from returning to work." Minjae sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid it is slowly affecting our economy, and it's starting to scare off investors from nearby towns."

"It only attacks livestock?" Yongsun asked confusedly, her mind going back to Sunghyun's words.

Minjae cleared his throat once more—a nervous tic, Yongsun observed. "I— No, I'm afraid not," he said, a pinched look on his face. "We've also received reports of men missing from work."

"Dead?" Yongsun asked, leaning closer.

"We've yet to see evidence, but yes, we believe so," Minjae admitted, looking defeated. "None of my men has actually seen it, but they've seen the carcasses it left. Or whatever leftovers they could find. They say it's made by nothing they've ever seen before." Yongsun leaned back. She looked over at Byulyi who has her head tilted to the side, her attention focused elsewhere. She tried following her gaze but realized she was just blankly staring into space.

Yongsun shook her head, returning her attention to Minjae. "Mister Sunghyun had mentioned previous bounty hunters… what happened to them?"

"Gone," Minjae said simply, a frustrated look on his face. "We've had sent search parties when they didn't return. My guards went as far as they could go but they couldn't find any traces of them." He nodded apologetically at her.

"I see." Yongsun crossed her arms. It seemed whatever this monster was, it could easily kill bounty hunters. The job started as hunting down what only hunts livestock just turned into something even more dangerous than before. Still, it was a challenge Yongsun knew they could take. "Where do we start our investigation?"

"Ah yes, Mister Kim has requested to begin in his farm."

"Yes, finally!" Mister Kim walked towards them, looking quite impatient. "I haven't got all day!"

Yongsun pursed her lips, standing up from her seat. "Please, lead the way," she said stiffly. Mister Kim huffed, walking out the room without glancing at them to check if they were following.

Yongsun saw Byulyi rolling her eyes.

"Miss Solar, Miss Moonbyul, I am grateful to have you here," Minjae said as they were about to leave the room.

"Thank us after we bring back its head," Yongsun quipped, making Minjae laughed.

"But of course!" he said, face filled with mirth. She respectfully bowed her head before following Byulyi out the room only to bump into her back.

"Please! You have to help!"

"Get out of the way, you peasant!"

"Please, Miss! Sir Minjae is in a meeting."

"What's going on?" Minjae asked, following them out the room as he heard the commotion.

At the entrance stood Mister Kim, being blocked by the two guards. No, more like they were blocking someone from the outside instead.

"Sir—" one of the guards started.

"Please! Help me!" A woman screamed.

Minjae's face turned thunderous. "What are you doing? The woman's asking for help! Let her through!"

The guards exchanged looks before stepping back. A woman slipped from between them, stumbling into the entrance way. Yongsun moved, helping the woman up from the ground. She suddenly clutched at her coat, nearly pulling Yongsun down with her. She saw Byulyi twitch at the corner of her eyes.

"You have to help me!" She sobbed hysterically. Her cheeks were swollen, eyes red from crying. "My Ryo! It took him!"

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Yongsun said reassuringly. "What happened?"

"My Ryo!"

The woman was incoherent, wailing and crying her eyes out on Yongsun's coat. Yongsun rubbed at the woman's back consolingly. "Who is Ryo? Miss?"

Minjae seemed to snap back into reality. "Ryohei? Seowoo is that you?"

The woman, Seowoo jerked up at her name. "Minjae! My Ryo! He's— he—"

"Get a grip on yourself, woman!" Mister Kim interrupted from the entrance. Yongsun nearly snapped at him but bit back the insult from leaving her lips. Instead, she looked back at Seowoo.

"I'm a bounty hunter, Miss. Ryo is your husband?"

Seowoo looked at her as if finally seeing her for the first time. "You! You have to help me, please!"

"I will," Yongsaid said firmly, "You just need to tell me what happened."

"What?" Mister Kim stomped over towards them, "You are to help me first!"

"Mister Kim—" Minjae stood over them, blocking the older man. "Please be reasonable—"

"Reasonable? My business is getting massacred by some wild beast! I've had enough waiting!"

Yongsun stood, carefully pulling Seowoo up with her. "And we will help you."

"But—" Seowoo stared at her, tears gathering in her eyes once more.

"There's two of us, isn't it?" Yongsun jerked her head towards Byulyi, who tilted her head to the side when the men's attention went towards her. "Moonbyul would be glad to assist and track the demon from your farm, Mister Kim."

"Her?" Mister Kim exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm a good tracker. Don't you worry," Byulyi said, flashing him a crooked grin—her longer than normal canines in display.

Mister Kim shrank back, face pinched. "I see."

"Lead the way, sir." Byulyi made a grand gesture towards the door, looking quite excitable for some strange reason—probably because she's enjoying how much she was scaring the old man, Yongsun thought. Mister Kim made one last glance towards them before walking out of the building, looking like a pack of wolves was after his tail.

Yongsun wouldn't consider Byulyi as anything similar to a wolf but she definitely had the same frightening presence as one.

"Now Seowoo, what is it with Ryohei?" Minjae started, leading the woman to chair and helping her sit.

"Minjae— the beast! It was at my home, last night!" she cried, her hands covering her face as she sobbed.

"What? Did you see it?" Minjae demanded, an alarmed look on his face.

Seowoo shook her head. "No," she said, voice feeble. "But it took Ryohei! I swear on the gods it did!"

"Can you show me where it took him?" Seowoo glanced towards Yongsun, sniffing as she wiped away her tears.

"Yes." She nodded shakily.

Yongsun led the woman outside, telling her to wait as she went to fetch Jingjing. After helping her up the mare, Seowoo whispered directions towards their barn, located at the western outskirts of the town.

The ride was uncomfortably silent, with the occasional sniffles and whimpers from her passenger. Yongsun wanted to console the woman, but she didn't want throwing out empty platitudes knowing that her husband might not even be alive at this point.

"There." Seowoo reached from behind her to point at a house they were slowly approaching. Coming closer, it looked quaint, almost calming in its well-worn appearance, but something somber tainted its air. Yongsun dismounted, leading Jingjing to a hitching post at the front of the house, then helping Seowoo dismount.

Yongsun could see the huge barn at the back of the house and what looked like a chicken coop at the side. Seowoo led her inside. It looked older in the inside than it did outside. Yongsun could see traces of the couple—a knitted table cloth, a hunting bow on the side, a pair of worn trousers left on a chair, an unlit candle on a dining table for two. Yongsun tasted something bitter in her mouth.

"We were asleep." Yongsun looked over towards Seowoo. She was standing by what looked like their bedroom, red eyes staring blankly towards an unmade bed. Yongsun slowly approached, scruffing her boots against the floor to announce her presence. Seowoo glanced over at her. "There was a loud noise, then we heard the cattle." She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly. "I–I told him not to go. I knew then something would happen— I–I should've stopped him," she sobbed out, tears breaking out once more.

Yongsun waited as Seowoo tried to calm herself. She then took in the other woman; she looked older than Yongsun, but she could see a certain beauty from the other woman—it's tragic, if Yongsun thought about it, a beautiful woman who lost her beautiful husband, and—if the crib within the bedroom was any indication—a father to her child.

When Seowoo was calm enough, Yongsun asked, "May I check the barn?"

Seowoo nodded. She led her towards the back door, but she stopped as she approached. "There was something strange that happened. I heard Ryo scream," she said, so softly that Yongsun nearly missed it. "But then, I heard his voice calling for me. But it wasn't him. It wasn't him…" The last part of her words tapered off into a whisper.

Yongsun followed Seowoo to the barn. Just a few feet away, Yongsun could smell a sickly sweet scent underneath the stench of the animals.

Seowoo refused to enter, looking quite shaken even just by standing outside her home. Yongsun gave her a reassuring smile, telling her it was fine and to wait for her there.

First, she checked around the barn and already she saw a trail of blood coming from the front. It led towards the forest located behind the barn, which then led to the mountainside. The only entrances were the wide double doors at the front and at the back, and a wide window above the front doors. Yongsun checked the broken wooden beam by the doors. There were strangely shaped marks, perhaps from claws? It definitely wasn't made by anything human nor anything Yongsun has ever seen before.

The front doors also bear the same marks. As she pushed it open, and she immediately reeled at the smell that wafted over her, a horrible mix of blood, death and cattle.

Yongsun carefully stepped inside. She was surprised to see the cattle still alive within their pens, making agitated noises at her presence. But it was the scene at the back of the barn that took her attention.

Blood. Everywhere.

There was too much of it that if it were from a human, he would definitely be dead.

 _He probably already is,_ Yongsun thought with a grimace. Beyond the blood, she couldn't find anything else.

The trail was her only clue. Hopefully Byulyi found more from Mister Kim's barn.

"Well?" Seowoo asked as she exited, her face looking hopeful. Yongsun felt a weight in her chest. Her face must've said something as Seowoo crumbled, her tears returning.

"I'm so sorry." Yongsun could only say. Even then, it felt empty coming from her lips. She helped Seowoo back into her home, handing her a glass of water as she situated her in the living room. Yongsun felt like it'd be too much for her to stay at her bedroom.

She didn't want to leave the woman but she really needed to check the trail.

"Will you be okay?" Yongsun asked, wincing as she realized how thoughtless her question sounded. Seowoo merely nodded, eyes vacant. Yongsun's jaw clenched. She told the woman she'd be back before slipping back out.

She followed the trail towards the forest. Just as she broke into the trees, she stopped. Yongsun took a deep breath, feeling the familiar warmth of her powers gathering at the tips of her fingers. Slowly, she traced a sigil in the air, a trail of blue light following her finger. The sigil twisted and turned, morphing into an ethereal hawk. The hawk snapped its wings open, taking flight and circling around her. She raised an arm where it took perch.

"I got a trail. I'm in the forest south of Seowoo's barn, I trust you'd find me," she told the hawk. "Whatever this beast is, it can mimic voices. I— I'll see you later, I guess?" Yongsun rolled her eyes, shaking her head at how lame she sounded. She didn't want to redo the spell and released the hawk, directing it to Byulyi.

The hawk flapped its wings before taking off, flying back towards the town. She watched its silhouette until she could no longer see it. The spell was the Guild's way of sending messages to its members, to only those who bear the Guild's symbol. Yongsun obviously have her own, while Byulyi's was a temporary one seeing as she wasn't exactly an official member of the Hunter's Guild.

With her message sent, Yongsun continued on after the trail.

A little deeper in the forest, the trail had gone cold and the blood had disappeared all together. As she looked closely, she realized that whatever she was following, it had hooves for its feet and not claws.

The tracks had led her to a clearing, but there were tracks of a herd that passed through at one point during the day and had completely destroyed the beast's tracks. She also noticed that she had gotten closer to the mountain than she would've liked. The beast obviously took shelter in one of the caves by the mountainside. It would take too long trying to search for its shelter on her own however.

She looked up and realized that it was well past the afternoon. It wouldn't be long before the sun started setting. She hoped Byulyi would arrive as she might be able to help in continuing the search. As much as she loathed to admit it, Byulyi _was_ the better tracker between them. She just wished her partner arrived before the darkness sets completely.

It was about an hour in her waiting when she heard a snap from the side of the clearing. She stood from where she settled underneath a tree, pulling out her crossbow from the holster at her side.

"Shit!" The familiar voice has her lowering her weapon.

She nearly called out before remembering that the beast could mimic voices.

Fortunately, a familiar blonde head popped out from the thicket.

"Moon Byulyi, you scared me!" Yongsun exclaimed, giving her partner a smack on the shoulder.

"Yah!" Byulyi reeled from the hit. "You owe me unnie! It took me everything not to kill that misogynist ass! And everything stinks! I can barely find your scent! It's like searching shit in shit!"

Yongsun smacked her once again.

"Hey!"

"Did you find anything?"

Byulyi huffed at her, brows scrunched. "Not much, just shit."

"Great," Yongsun sighed, rubbing at her temples. "No idea what we're looking for then?"

"Nope." Byulyi glanced around, dark amber eyes peering into the shadows between the trees. "Have you checked around yet?"

"No," Yongsun answered, holstering her crossbow.

"Well, just up north from here is another farm," Byulyi said, pointing a thumb behind her. "Our friend might be lurking around there for his next meal."

"We should at least check where its track ended," Yongsun pointed. Byulyi stared at her for a moment before taking sniff.

"There's too many things here, I can't distinguish anything." Byulyi bit on her lip, a frustrated look on her face. "It'd be easier if we have a bloodhound."

"Or a werewolf," Yongsun added wryly. She sighed once more, running a hand down her face. "Guess we check out that farm then, and maybe, get stalked by the thing we are hunting in the process."

"Hey, it'd make our life easier, wouldn't it?" Byulyi nudged at her with a joking grin.

"When has our life ever been that easy?"

Byulyi laughed at that.

* * *

The sun had set, making it harder to traverse through the forest. The moon wasn't even enough to help her see a few feet in front of her. Yongsun wanted to light a fire but she didn't want the beast knowing about their presence, and she knew to trust Byulyi in the darkness, keeping close behind her.

A coldness has settled in her limbs, the hairs on her neck standing on end. It was eerie how silent the forest was, not even a pip of any wildlife—only the sounds of her steps against the leaf covered ground. Yongsun felt like a bull in a china shop as compared to Byulyi who was unnaturally silent. It probably came with what she was. Yongsun briefly wondered if she could find a silencing spell for herself later.

"We should be close," Byulyi said, breaking the silence. "We-"

Byulyi stopped, Yongsun nearly bumping against her back. She saw Byulyi tilting her head, sniffing.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"I don't know," she answered, a frown on her brows.

_"Help!"_

The pair jerked towards the cry. A beat of silence before a blood-curdling scream came from the darkness. Before Yongsun could even think, her body jumped into action, running towards the sound.

"Yong!" Byulyi shouted at her.

Yongsun weaved between the trees, the thought of helping a man in need consuming her mind.

The scream cut off, leaving Yongsun in silence. She stopped, disoriented as she glanced around, her ears listening carefully for any sound.

It was then she realized Byulyi wasn't behind her and that she was alone.

"Yong!" Came a shout from somewhere in front of her.

"Byul?" she whispered into the darkness, heart in her throat. She pulled out her crossbow, pointing it towards the voice. "Is that you?"

_"Yong!"_

Something shifted between the trees. Had Yongsun blinked, she wouldn't have seen the huge hulking form coming towards her. With blood rushing in her ears, Yongsun jumped to the side, rolling on the ground before raising her crossbow towards it.

"Yong!"

Yongsun nearly pulled the trigger on Byulyi's face.

"Fuck! Watch it!" Byulyi pushed her crossbow down, "Why did you run?"

"Did you see it?" Yongsun demanded, her heart racing within her heaving chest.

"See wha— shit!" Byulyi whirled around, pushing Yongsun behind her.

Yongsun watched as Byulyi was launched from her place, crashing into the trees before she could even react.

"Byul—"

Yongsun dived to the side as a huge brown blur rushed to where she was standing. She had no time to check on Byulyi, running towards the opposite direction to distance herself to whatever it was that attacked them.

The beast roared, its voice a haunting scream of man. Yongsun felt chills running down her spine. She took a chance and looked back, only to see a hairy face, a wide mouth and gnashing teeth. She cursed underneath her breath, raising her crossbow and blindly shooting behind her.

In front of her, she could see an outcrop by the mountainside. She briefly wondered if the beast could climb. But before she could second guess herself, she focused her magicke into her legs, and in one leap, landed on top of the rock.

The beast screamed. Yongsun dared look down, only to see it scrambling up the side.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck—" Yongsun reloaded her crossbow. She aimed between the beast's eyes and pulled the trigger. She watched in disbelief as the bolt bounced off its skin. "Fuck."

She reloaded her crossbow, this time infusing it with her magicke. The bolt turned a glowing red, heat coming off of it in waves. She pulled the trigger, but once again, the bolt merely bounced off the monster's skin.

"What in seven hells are you?"

The beast shrieked in response, the hairs on the back of her neck standing at its voice.

Yongsun looked at the tree across her. Taking one last look at the monster, she jumped. The branch she landed on cracked underneath her sudden weight but it held firm. She looked down only to see that the beast was gone. She whirled around, not finding even a hint of its huge body.

She could feel her heart in her throat, her hands sweaty. The forest was unnaturally silent—her breathing and the wind against the leaves the only sounds that she could hear.

She breathed out, trying to calm the pounding within her chest. She needed to think. Her bolts weren't working, and even her magicke. She briefly wondered if silver would work against it—

"Yong!"

Yongsun jerked towards the voice, eyes squinting against the darkness.

"Byul?" she called out softly. She listened carefully, but only to hear the shifting leaves against the wind in reply.

"Yong!"

Yongsun froze, the familiar tone sending alarm bells ringing inside her head. She glanced around, but only finding nothing within the darkness of the trees.

A beat, then the sound of hooves against the ground.

The tree suddenly shook. Yongsun flailed around before taking hold against the branches. Looking down, the beast was standing on its haunches, it huge mouth wide open, revealing ridges made of bone instead of teeth. It screamed once more, impatient that its prey didn't took its bait.

"For fuck's sake, shut up!"

A familiar blonde crashed on its side, sending it flying.

"Byulyi!" There was blood running down the side of her face, and she was obviously preferring her right side, with an arm over her ribs.

"If you kill this fucker anytime soon, that would be great," Byulyi growled out, grunting as she jumped out the way of the charging monster.

Which was a mistake as it crashed into the tree Yongsun was on.

Yongsun yelped as the tree tilted to the side. She jumped off before it could completely crash. She rolled into the ground, her ears ringing and her whole body aching from the impact.

She looked up only to see Byulyi holding the beast by the jaws, its teeth just a few inches from crushing her face.

"Yong…" Byulyi hissed through gritted teeth, her arms shaking from keeping the monster in its place.

_"Yong."_

Byulyi's eyes went wide. "Did you fucking hear that? It's using my voice!"

Had it been a different circumstance, Yongsun would've laughed at how comical her reaction was. Scrambling to her feet, Yongsun pulled a metal rod from her belt. It wasn't anything special and was only a foot long. She brandished it as if holding a sword, then laid a palm against its length. Bright circular sigil appeared underneath her hand, growing bigger until it encompassed the rod.

In a flash of bright light, the rod morphed into a short sword. With a yell, Yongsun swung, aiming for its neck but it shifted at the last moment and hit its flank instead.

The beast shrieked, rearing back from Byulyi as blood spurted from its wound. Her partner jumped to the side as it landed back to its front. With unnatural speed, it swung its head towards Yongsun, sending her and her sword flying.

She crashed against a tree. Stars filled her eyes, and crippling pain blossomed across her back.

She blinked rapidly, seeing a dark blur coming towards her. She immediately raised her arms, a blue bubble manifesting around her.

Its hooves crashed against the bubble, the sound akin to the banging of war drums that made Yongsun's ears ring with each impact. Her eyes darted around, before seeing the glint of silver behind the beast screaming at her face.

Pain prickled at the middle of her forehead every time its hooves landed on her shield. She could feel it lancing through her head like a spike, slowly crawling down her spine with every strike.

There was a loud cracking sound, like a glass breaking. Yongsun strained against the onslaught, a warmth suddenly dripping from her nose, her eyes staring at the crack at the middle of her shield.

"Byulyi!" she screamed out.

The beast cried out in pain, reeling away from her. At its side was Byulyi, Yongsun's sword buried between its ribs. Byulyi swiftly pulled the sword out before it completely crashed into the ground.

_"Yong…"_

Yongsun shivered as the beast croaked out her name—its voice no longer just Byulyi's but a mix of other voices.

"Gods, that's creepy," Byulyi commented, her own chest heaving as she wiped at the blood over her eye. She twirled the sword in her hand before swinging down in one swift stroke, cutting the beast's head off its neck.

It gave off an unholy scream before its body jerked into a stop.

Yongsun heaved a sigh, dropping her head against the tree behind her.

"You alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just sweaty and bruised," Yongsun said with a laugh, but still feeling quite shaken inside. She could feel Byulyi's eyes on her but didn't pushed for more, which she was grateful for.

Byulyi sighed herself, dropping down next to her. "So, silver, huh?" She asked, handing the sword over.

"It almost always works, right?" Yongsun replied, tracing her eyes over the dark blood covering its length.

Byulyi snorted, resting her own head against the tree. "Oh look, a full moon," she said, her voice a monotone. "It'd be just our luck if a werewolf came by."

"Good thing we have silver right now," Yongsun shot back, a small smile on her face.

* * *

"It's a leukrokottas," the Priest said, "It mimics voices to lure men to devour them. No steel made by any man could pierce its skin!"

The beast that they killed could only be described as hideous. Now under the light, Yongsun could see how it looked. Its face resembled something between a human and a lion; its mouth awkwardly occupied its whole face, unable to fully close with its weird teeth, while its body resembled that of a huge stag.

"Are you sure your friend doesn't need healing?" The priestess fussing over her asked.

"Oh, she'll be fine," Yongsun replied with a reassuring smile. "She doesn't really like magicke."

"I see." The priestess looked like she wanted to push for more but respectfully remained silent, focusing instead on healing her bruised ribs.

It seemed that she received more injuries than she thought after being tossed around like a ragdoll.

"It's a son of the Mistress Death, having mated with a lion after taking the form of a wild dog," the Priest droned on, "We must come into prayer and ask for forgiveness."

Yongsun looked over, seeing Minjae and the victims of the beast carefully listening to the Priest. Feeling a bit better, Yongsun thanked the priestess who immediately scurried away. She watched with crossed arms as the Priest led everyone into prayer. She had never been one for prayers though.

After the prayer, the Priest started his sermon. Yongsun watched as Minjae swiftly slipped away, walking towards her place at the back of the chapel.

"I must thank you," Minjae said, bowing deeply.

"Just doing my job." Yongsun cracked a smile, "And no, I don't take thank yous as payment."

Minjae laughed. "You are an amazing woman, Miss Solar." He pulled out a purse from within his coat. "But here, as promised."

Yongsun held the purse, shifting it in her hand before placing it within her pouch. They drifted off into silence, with Minjae turning his attention back to the Priest.

"How's Seowoo?"

Minjae glanced over at her, lips pursed. "She'll be staying in my household temporarily, we've already sent messengers to her relatives in Kongju."

Yongsun nodded slowly, feeling like a weight was removed from her shoulders.

Minjae cleared his throat. "Miss Solar… If there's anything more you need, just ask."

Yongsun stared at him, seeing genuine gratitude in his face. "Well…

I need a horse."

* * *

She was panting hard, the sound of bloodhounds and shouting coming from behind her.

Her heart pounded within her chest, fear clouding her mind as a single thought ran through her.

_Please be okay! Please!_

She broke through the trees and into a clearing. She froze in her tracks, her heart in her throat as bright amber eyes stared back at her.

The huge being stood to its full height, its silver coat glowing underneath the light of the full moon, and its black lips pulled back in a snarl as saliva dripped from its mouth. It raised its head into a loud howl, making her clutch at her ears as they rang from the sound.

 _"They're over there!"_ came the shouts from behind her.

She could only scream as the wolf roared, launching itself towards her.

_"Wheein no!"_

* * *

**An:** Yoooo whats up?? So, I'm still alive and with a fucking behemoth in my hands ~~(well, technically in my files, but you get the idea).~~

This thing will be huuuuuge. Like hella huge. I wanted to write a high fantasy and so this was born lol

~~I am _so_ biting off more than I could chew. Oops. ~~

So first chapter = introductory chapter. Next chapter, we get into some more action! And new characters! I bet you already know who.

What do you guys think? Like? Dislike? Tell me your thoughts! And more importantly, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it haha

There's more to come!

**Chapter terminologies:**

Imugi - a lesser dragon in Korean mythology. I am mostly using its name rather than its origins.

Leukrokottas - a mythological beast in Greek mythology. It has a body of a stag, a neck of a lion, cloven hooves, and a wide mouth with a sharp bony ridge in place of its teeth. It possibly came from ancient accounts of Greeks encountering hyenas. It imitates the voices of men it hears and lures them into the woods where they would devour them. It cannot be overcome by any weapon made of steel.

Steel - a metal compound that contains iron.

Then why did silver worked? Although, I wasn't able to explain it in great detail (and I'm going to explore more of it in later chapters), but what Yongsun did is alchemy. She basically turned this metal rod into a sword made out of pure silver. Iron is typically mixed in with silver to make it more harder as silver is soft in its purest form. So ha! Physics! Magical physical!

I want to explain more about the world and make some character profiles, but I just need to figure out where to put it. I rather not fill the bottom of the page with notes everytime.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yongsun and Byulyi encounters an interesting pair. Then Yongsun finds herself bonded to a complete stranger!

It was horrible to watch her curl against herself, lips pulled back in a pained grimace; but the way she was clutching her wounded side told her it was more painful than the transformation itself.

"You'll be okay."  She felt like a broken record at this point. Repeating the same thing over and over again, helpless as she held her best friend who trashed and writhed within her arms. She was covered in blood—both of them were, some of it was Wheein's, but it was mostly someone else's.

She ran a hand through short blonde locks. It had been shocking to see those once dark strands had changed after her first day of the full moon. She had studied everything about the turning, but it hadn't really prepared her when the first pull of the moon came—nor did it prepare her to see the pain that came along with it.

Or the rage filling those eyes that had always brought her comfort.

It was… frightening.

A long growl left Wheein's lips, tapering off into a pained groan. Any traces of her wolf was gone, the platinum blonde hair and the huge jagged scar at her shoulder the only reminders of her now-inhuman status. If she pulled back Wheein's closed eyelids, she'd see bright amber eyes—another thing that changed with her best friend.

Wheein settled within her arms—her body bared to the world, with a long deep wound on her abdomen that traveled to her side, blood dripping from it. 

She ripped a piece of cloth from her robes, tying it around the wound as best as she could. It worried her how the wound has yet to close. It wouldn't be too far off that the hunters' weapons were made out of silver.

Wheein needed help, she just didn't know how to help her.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered, wiping the blood away on the corner of Wheein's mouth.

Wheein's eyes remained close.

* * *

It was the sun shining on her eyes that woke her up.

Yongsun squinted, bringing a hand up to her face as she shifted away from the light. She distinctly remember her dream filled with gnashing teeth and a haunting voice repeatedly calling her name. As she thought more on it, it frustratingly became blurry until she could barely remember any details. It was probably for the best.

Yongsun rubbed at her face, sitting up from her bed. She glanced over the other bed to see it mussed up and empty. It felt strange to see Byulyi up before she was. Shaking her head, Yongsun stood and walked over to her bag, slipping on a fresh tunic and trousers over her underclothes, picking up her belt and her leather coat as she left the room.

She wasn't at all surprised to see her partner slouched over the inn's bar, with a few bottles already laid in front of her.

"Really, Byulyi? This early?" she asked as she approached.

"I really need it right now," Byulyi replied, pouring herself a shot and downing it in one go. Yongsun found herself staring at the angry wound on her hairline and she couldn't find the words to keep on nagging on her partner.

Instead she leaned closer, "Do you need—"

"No," Byulyi said sharply, an almost dangerous note underneath her tone. Yongsun didn't realize she was rubbing at an old scar on her left wrist when she saw Byulyi's eyes focused on it. It seemed almost painful for Byulyi to look away, a grimace on her face.

Yongsun knew it was a bit of a sensitive topic for Byulyi. She really didn't want a fight to ensue between them and so dropped the topic instead. 

She called for Sunghyun's attention and ordered a proper breakfast for herself. Her cheeks were full and busy munching on her eggs when Byulyi finally spoke again.

"So, what's next, oh great bounty hunter?"

Yongsun took a moment, thinking carefully about their plans and Byulyi's possible reaction.

"Well, we stock up and head east."

"East?" Byulyi stared at her incredulously.

"You and I know there's good business there, and besides, I already told the guild we'll be around that area so any jobs they're sending our way, it's gonna be around there," Yongsun explained simply, busying herself in mixing up her rice.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Byulyi said, knocking back another shot. "They have like good rice wine over there, right?"

Yongsun merely rolled her eyes, but inwardly relieved. She had been planning on heading east for a while, and if her calculations were correct…  _ she  _ would be there.

Hopefully.

Byulyi had finished off her third bottle of what smelled like whiskey before she started stealing Yongsun's food. Not in a mood to start an argument, she allowed the younger woman but not without showing her displeasure with an animated huff. Sunghyun somehow noticed this and had slid an extra plate of eggs towards her. If Yongsun's was the Holy Matron, she would have given him immortality right then and there. 

After filling up their bellies—and Sunghyun brushing off their payments—they headed towards the stables where Minjae had already sent Byulyi's new horse.

It was a huge cream colored thoroughbred that even dwarfed Yongsun's beloved Jingjing. 

"Oh wow." Byulyi stared at it with awe. "Did I ever tell you why I follow you around in your bounty hunting adventures?"

"Free stuff?" Yongsun answered with her driest tone.

"Fuck yes, I love free stuff!"

The stablehand pointedly cleared his throat.

"And you know, helping the people and seeing their happy faces," Byulyi quickly added. "But yeah, free stuff are the fucking best!"

"She's a child, I hope you understand," Yongsun whispered over the man, his face scrunched up in confusion.

"Well, Master Minjae has also left this for you," the stablehand said, motioning over to a huge leather bag by the hay. Yongsun walked towards it, her eyes nearly boggling out of its sockets as she realized what was inside.

"This— this is too much," she said weakly. Curious, Byulyi walked over.

She whistled low. "Damn, I guess we don't need to stock up, huh?"

* * *

"We're only two hours out of Gusan and you're already eating."

"Hey, we have more than enough stock until the next town," Byulyi said between a mouthful of salted meat, "besides, I can always hunt for us if we run out."

The next town was at least a two weeks travel from Gusan—Yongsun wasn't too excited to be consuming only salted meat for the whole week so the idea of hunting has placated her for the moment. There was a huge selection of possible hunts in the forest, and Byulyi could basically hunt anything if she sets her mind to it. They would also be passing some fishing settlements—it would be a bit of a detour but Yongsun liked to keep her options open.

Yongsun hadn't expected Minjae to give them a whole week stock of food and water canteens and if rationed carefully, they could spread it for the whole journey. It was a little too much for the pair, but Yongsun couldn't refuse the man's hospitality. The leukrokottas must had been a bigger problem than she thought.

Yongsun also stocked up on her metal bolts, and got herself another metal rod. The blacksmith had given her a strange look after she requested for it, but didn't ask any questions.

The town they'll be heading to was Naju, and they'll be wading through the river at one point—but that was still at least five days away. Yongsun was used to long travels like this, having spent nearly half of her younger years like a nomad training under an ex-magister. It wasn't a memory she thought fondly of, but she believed she was fortunate to share those years with someone that held the warmth of her heart. 

Now, she just needed to meet that other half of hers once more, and she just knew she'd meet  _ her  _ somewhere east.

"Ah! I got it! Daebakie!"

"You're not naming him _Daebakie."_

"Why not? It's my horse."

"Byul—" Yongsun breathed in through her nose, briefly closing her eyes before looking back over to her partner. "Can't you be at least be a bit creative than that?" Must she mention the name 'Spots'?

"Hey! At least it's not 'Jingjing'!"

"Oh no, leave my Jingjing alone! Did you hear that, Jingjingah? After you carried that pointy ass for three days, she goes on and ridicules you!"

Said mare merely huffed, her huge brown eyes blinking.

"His name is Daebakie and that's final!" Byulyi shouted, then she glanced over her shoulder with a shit-eating grin on her face. "Hey, how 'bout a race?"

Before the "no" could even leave her lips, Byulyi had already kicked Daebakie into a gallop, laughing loudly. She cursed under her breath, kicking Jingjing to follow the gelding's faster gait. It was obvious that Byulyi's new and younger horse was a bit faster than her beloved mare, but Yongsun couldn't find it in herself to be annoyed beyond the childish actions of her partner.

Next thing she knew, there was a huge grin in her own face as she shouted over the dust Daebakie was leaving behind.

She knew by the end of this 'race', her partner would be asking for a favor. 

Hopefully nothing too embarrassing.

_ Then again, even if it's going to be embarrassing, I'll be doing it anyway. _

Byulyi and Daebakie had already disappeared down the bend, the trees completely hiding them from view. So it took Yongsun by surprise as she turned on that same bend only to pass by her partner. She pulled on Jingjing's reins, making her whine in discomfort but stopping just as she instructed. She aided Jingjing around, pacing back to where she passed Byulyi.

"What's wrong?" Yongsun asked. As she came closer, she noticed the sweat on her partner's temples, the pinched look in her eyes and the way she was breathing through her mouth. She looked down to see those pale hands shaking and gripping so hard on the reins, the leather creaked.

Byulyi gulped, an almost wild look in her amber eyes as they darted around. 

"Blood," her voice came out in a croak. "I smell blood. So much…"

Byulyi's whole body shuddered, the horse underneath her agitatedly pawing at the ground.

"Hey, it's okay," Yongsun said, raising a hand to pat her on the shoulder but pulling back at the last second. "Ermm, just breathe okay?"

Byulyi shakily nodded her head, taking multiple gulps of air through her mouth. 

Yongsun took that moment to look around. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but now that she was specifically searching for it, she noticed the lack of sound beyond the rustling of leaves. Normally that would've alarmed her but her gut wasn't screaming anything dangerous was lurking around at the moment.

More like something dangerous had already passed and everything else was too scared to return.

Byulyi seemed to have composed herself, looking like she had just ran a couple miles.

"Okay?"

Byulyi nodded, breathing out through her nose—she watched as her face went from something dark before settling expressionlessly.

"We should check it out," Byulyi suggested just as Yongsun was about to turn back.

She stared at her partner for a moment. Maybe it was the stiff line on her lips or the tensed shoulders, but Byulyi looked a little pissed.

Still…

"Alright, if you're up for it," Yongsun said.

They directed their horses a little ways off the path, hitching them close together. Hopefully no one was dumb enough to try and steal their horses. Yongsun set a little hex just in case.

Yongsun followed the silent Byulyi. She had a bit of trouble trying to follow her partner as she had adopted a rather fast pace, weaving around trees and branches. It wasn't long before Yongsun saw the traces—they were tracking something huge if the broken branches and the claw marks were anything to go by.

Yongsun noticed the smell first before she saw the blood. The stench was so strong, Yongsun nearly gagged.

Byulyi remained stone-faced at the sight.

There inside a clearing were mutilated bodies, limbs ripped from their sockets and entrails dragged from their chests.

There were even corpses of dogs, ripped apart by the same beast.

"What—" Yongsun kneeled to one of the corpses, the unmistakable glint of a bounty hunter's pendant catching her eye—an image of a bull's head. "These guys are Bulls."

Yongsun was like a whirlwind, frantically checking every corpse.

"Hey—"

She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't recognize any of them.

"Hey," Byulyi called, standing over another corpse. "Look."

Yongsun walked over, her eyes following where Byulyi was pointing at. She then bent down, picking up a piece of paper poking out of the corpse's satchel. She handed over to Yongsun. Immediately, she noticed an elaborate cross emblazoned on it—the symbol of the Grand Templars.

It was a holy order, a hunt for a werewolf who had killed a priestess and possibly responsible for the disappearance of the Head Priest of the Jeon Monastery.

"Templars hiring bounty hunters, that's new," Yongsun muttered to herself, folding the paper and slipping it into her own satchel.

"Templars?" Byulyi repeated, "I don't like that."

"Me too." Yongsun glanced around, counting off eight corpses and at least five dogs. "Let's get out of here, this huge of a party suddenly disappearing won't go unnoticed."

The pair took care not to leave any traces, Yongsun using a small gust spell to dispel their scents. 

They were halfway back to their horses when Byulyi said, "I got a scent." She tilted her head to the side. "I think whatever it is that attacked them got injured. He shouldn't be far."

Yongsun patted her satchel at her side. "I think I have an idea on what 'attacked' them."

Byulyi's eyes widened, like a great revelation slowly dawning on her. "Oh, right."

"Let's get the horses first."

"Gotcha."

'Not far' as Byulyi had aptly put it was actually quite far if they had continued on foot. Yongsun suspected the werewolf was able to walk away despite his injuries, but probably collapsed somewhere after the course of the full moon. 

"They were here," Byulyi commented. She then directed Daebakie off the path, slowly leading the gelding through the thicket with Yongsun and Jingjing following close behind them.

"Here? The Iron Bulls?" 

"Yep." Byulyi sniffed, narrowed eyes looking through the gaps between the trees. "Huh, how come those eight hunters died from one stupid werewolf who backtracked its own tracks?"

"Are you sure it's just one?" Yongsun asked, her eyes drawn to a dark piece of cloth that was caught on a branch. She led Jingjing closer to it. She held the cloth in her hand, rubbing her fingers as she felt its material. It definitely didn't feel like a hunter would wear while hunting for a werewolf.

"No," Byulyi answered a little later, halting. She dismounted her horse, crouching low on the ground as she crept forwards. Yongsun followed suit, keeping close to her partner. "I think it has a friend."

Yongsun peeked from behind Byulyi, her eyes landing on what seemed to be a campsite. Everything was tipped over and there was blood everywhere. But what caught Yongsun's attention was the pair right in the middle of it.

"They're so young," Yongsun breathed out, eyes wide.

"Yong wait—"

Yongsun stood, walking around Byulyi who hopelessly tried to pull her back down. 

One of them jumped, her head jerking upward at the sudden sound. 

"Stay away!" she screamed out, brandishing a hunting knife with a shaky hand while the other held the other half of the pair close.

Yongsun raised her hand placatingly. "It's okay, I'm not here to hurt you."

"Don't—" The girl's whole body was shaking. "Don't come any closer!"

Yongsun's eyes went to the one the girl was holding. "Your friend is injured," she pointed, "We can help."

The girl remained silent, tears gathering in her eyes. Her lips wobbled, her eyes darting down before settling back on Yongsun. "Please," she whispered, "You have to help her."

"Yong—"

"I will," Yongsun answered resolutely, "I'll help her, if you let me, okay?"

The girl bit her lip, the hand holding up the knife dropping down. She looked down back to the girl that she has in her arms, their foreheads touching in a surprisingly intimate manner.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Wheein," the girl whispered, but Yongsun heard it just the same. The girl looked up, her sharp brown eyes meeting Yongsun. "Okay," she said a little louder.

Yongsun nodded. As she was about to step closer, Byulyi suddenly jerked her back.

"What are you doing?" she hissed quietly.

"The right thing," Yongsun hotly whispered back. She pulled her arm away, walking across the camp and towards the pair. She knelt down next to them. Yongsun took them in; the girl looked like a few years younger than her, her long black hair completely disheveled, eyes red and bags underneath them, dried blood on her cheek and on her robes which looked like priestess garbs. The other girl on the other hand was unhealthily pale, and her hair a shocking light blonde color. She was wearing men's wear but it looked fitted for her and not something they took from the bounty hunters.

"Where is she hurt?" Yongsun asked as she slid off her leather coat, revealing her white tunic which she rolled up at the sleeves. 

"Here," the girl answered as she pulled up the blonde's shirt, revealing a makeshift bandage which was already filled with blood. "I cleaned it already, b–but the blood wouldn't stop."

"Okay." Yongsun looked back at Byulyi, "Give me some water." She then started to carefully remove the bandage. Some parts of the blood had already dried up and made the bandage stick into some places so Yongsun had to be extra careful as to not aggravate the wound any further. She glanced up at the girl as she worked, seeing her staring wide eyed at the wound. "What's your name?"

The girl jerked up at the question. She chewed on her lower lip before answering quietly, "Ahn Hyejin."

"Alright, Hyejin, I need you to lay her down completely," Yongsun instructed, having finished removing the bandage. Hyejin nodded, quickly following her orders. "Where's the water, Byulah?"

"Here." Byulyi grunted, handing over a canteen.

Yongsun poured the water over the wound, washing away the blood. The girl remained unresponsive.

_ But not for long,  _ Yongsun thought wryly. "Byulyi, I think it's better if you try and hold her down." Then she placed her hand over her wound.

"Wait!" Hyejin reached out, catching her hand. "You can't use—"

"It's okay," Yongsun reassured, "I'm not using holy magicke."

Hyejin's jaw dropped, a surprised look on her face. 

Byulyi's cheek twitched, no doubt holding back some kind of witty remark.

"Hold her down," Yongsun ordered, slightly glaring at her partner. Byulyi huffed before kneeling down over the other side and holding the blonde down by her upper arms. "Stay clear," she warned Hyejin.

It would be best to stitch up the wound but Yongsun lacked the needed materials at the moment, and this was the next best thing that she could do to immediately stop the bleeding. She didn't know how it would look after, but weren't werewolves known for their fast healing?

Hopefully it wouldn't leave a  _ too  _ ugly scar.

Yongsun curled her fingers against her palm, tucking her thumb close as she extended her forefinger and middle finger as if making a knife. She called on the heat, a sliver of power slipping from within her and into her fingers. She exchanged looks with Byulyi before she pressed down.

The body beneath them jerked, a loud growl erupting from gritted teeth. Byulyi straddled the blonde, pressing her calves down against her arms as she writhed and tried to pull away from Yongsun's hand. 

"Byulyi—" Yongsun pulled up her hand, nearly burning the girl's abdomen. "Hold her down!"

"I am!" Byulyi gritted out, "She's stronger than she looks!"

Her partner pushed against those wiry shoulders trying to break free, yelping and snatching back a hand as the blonde snapped at it.

"Holy shit, she tried to bite me!"

"Give her something to bite on then!" Yongsun grunted, sweat dripping from her brow as she carefully traced over the wound—the smell of burning flesh filling her nose.

Hyejin kneeled next to the blonde's head, making Yongsun look up from her work.

The warning died before it could leave her lips, watching in amazement as the blonde seemed to have calmed at the girl's presence. Hyejin carefully raised the girl's head into her lap, a hand brushing back those short locks as she whispered softly in her ear.

They were silent as Yongsun finished up quickly, her work unexpectedly made easier with Hyejin's presence. She stared at what used to be an open wound, now blackened and nearly grotesquely looking, but it had stopped bleeding.

Yongsun moved back, wiping a hand over her brow.

"She should be fine," she said, "It'd scar, but she'll heal up."

"Thank you," Hyejin said softly, but her eyes were still on her friend, carefully running her hand in her friend's hair in a soothing motion.

Yongsun almost felt like she was looking at a private moment that should only be shared between them—almost like a voyeur, which was a strange thought.

"Yongsun," Byulyi called from the edge of the campsite, an impatient look on her. "Let's go."

Yongsun walked over to her partner, not before looking back at Hyejin who was still whispering softly to her friend.

"We should go," Byulyi told her, turning around to head back to the horses.

"Byulyi wait."

"What?" Byulyi snapped, an annoyed look on her face.

"We can't just leave them."

"Yes. We. Can." Byulyi hissed underneath her breath. "We can't bring them, the fucking Templars are after them!"

"That's why we can't just leave them!" Yongsun hissed back. Byulyi's eyes narrowed dangerously, a snarl on her lips.

_ "We can." _

"No, we can't." 

_ "Yes." _

_ "No." _

They stared down at each other, exchanging heated glares in hopes of the other backing away.

But Yongsun found herself victorious as Byulyi cursed loudly underneath her breath, raising her arms in defeat.

"Matron's tits— fine then!" Byulyi looked at the side, an angry twitch on her brow. "If that girl kills us in our sleep, I am  _ so  _ going to haunt your ghost ass!"

"She won't," Yongsun said firmly. "I trust them, and I trust you."

Byulyi's lip curved, settling into a hard line.

Yongsun turned towards Hyejin, who was apparently carefully watching their heated exchange. She protectively pulled her friend closer to her, a hint of suspicion in her eyes.

"Hyejin," Yongsun started, voice soft as she kneeled next to the pair. She pulled out the Templar's order from her satchel before handing it over to the girl. Hyejin took it, side-eyeing her before reading the paper. Yongsun watched as various emotions passed through the girl's eyes—shock, confusion, before settling on fear. "It's not true, is it? Your friend didn't kill a priestess?"

Hyejin's head was already shaking just as she was still speaking. "N–no— she didn't. I'm that priestess," then whispered to herself, "We just wanted to run away… No,

_ We needed to run." _

Hyejin gasped, her eyes finally catching onto the pendant that's hanging from her neck. "I thought you were a witc— You're a bounty hunter," she said in a defeated tone.

"I won't hurt you." Yongsun kept her voice low, loosening her stance as to make herself look unthreatening.

"How do I know you won't just hand us over to the Templars?" 

Hyejin's whole demeanor suddenly changed, like a wild cat ready to pounce on Yongsun. Her sharp eyes just narrowed ever so slightly, and yet it felt like her gaze was cutting through her soul.

Yongsun felt a prickling over her arms, like electricity crawling up in waves. It took her a moment to realize it was coming from Hyejin.

"I won't," Yongsun answered firmly, feeling like she was speaking through a huge wall pressing on her.

"Then swear on it." Something flashed in Hyejin's eyes, and Yongsun felt like she was looking at someone else—something ancient.

Yongsun thought to just leave, to never look back and forgot about this whole thing. But something told her to meet this girl's gaze, to take her hand and to prove herself.

_ But to prove what? _

Before she could think deeply on it, her hand had already moved on its own, taking the hand Hyejin held out for her.

_ "I swear."  _

Yongsun's magicke responded to her voice, as if a wave swelling from within her and crashing through her whole body that nearly bowed her over. Then another wave came, this time from where Yongsun and Hyejin's hand met. Yongsun felt Hyejin's own magicke crawling over her own, the sweet scent of roses filling her nose with something dark lingering right under it. It almost felt pleasurable, like a heated touch but to the very essence that made up her whole being. Yongsun felt like she was drowning in it, her and Hyejin's magicke mingling together that Yongsun no longer knew where Ahn Hyejin began and where Kim Yongsun ended. A heat had blossomed within her chest as a tiny bit of Hyejin's magicke took shelter in her core and as all is that seeked balance, she felt her magicke do the same.

Yongsun blinked, her magicke returning and settling back within her as did Hyejin's own, but not without it carefully caressing her core that sent shivers down her spine and her heart beating wildly in her chest.

Yongsun gasped, snatching her hand back. She cleared her throat, trying not to look at Hyejin's eyes—at how her pupils were blown wide and that there was a pinkish tint glowing through the dirt and blood on her face. The heady feeling that Hyejin's magicke awakened within her slowly died into glowing embers that she knew wouldn't probably leave for a few days.

"Is— is this your first time?" Yongsun stammered out, her throat suddenly feeling dry, and a familiar heat spreading from her neck and to her cheeks.

"Yes," Hyejin squeaked out, voice high and glancing away as she obviously realized what had happened.

"Then you know I'm not lying?" Yongsun pressed, still unable to look at the girl and ready to ignore the awkwardness that sprouted between them.

"I believe you," Hyejin said softly, so softly that Yongsun looked back. Hyejin was looking up at her, the sharpness she saw earlier completely gone and the girl who was lost and scared for her friend's life was back.

Yongsun cracked a smile. "Alright, let's get you and your friend up."

Hyejin returned the smile, and Yongsun felt her heart skip a beat. She shook her head—it was probably her magicke still responding to Hyejin's. The next few days was going to be messy, Yongsun could just see it.

After getting her coat, Yongsun helped carry Hyejin's friend, while the girl herself fetched everything she could salvage from their supplies that weren't destroyed or covered in blood. Hyejin gave her an odd look when she asked for her to get the soiled bandages as well. As they got closer to the horses, Byulyi's nose flared, a sneer on her face, arms crossed over her chest as she ran an eye up and down her form. Yongsun could already see the snarky remark just as Byulyi was about to open her mouth.

"Not a word," Yongsun interrupted before her partner can get a single word out. Byulyi rolled her eyes, but Yongsun knew this wouldn't be the end of it, already dreading the questions later on. Byulyi drooped her stance as she stared at the werewolf she was carrying in her arms.

"I'll take your new pet," she said as she moved to take the unconscious girl.

"Her name is Wheein," Hyejin snapped, glaring up at her.

"Wheepup then," Byulyi quipped, unfazed. Hyejin puffed her cheeks, clearly holding back her annoyance.

Yongsun suddenly felt like she was standing between two explosive hexes, thinking on what to do should a pissed off priestess and an overgrown child who could probably rip all their heads off decided to deck each other out. It didn't help that this new 'bond' with Hyejin was like a new tiny voice at the back of her head goading her to snap at the blonde too.

Fortunately, Byulyi let the argument die before it could take off. She was maneuvering the girl—Wheein as carefully as she could as she placed her on top of Daebakie, then slipping quickly behind her to support her.  Hyejin pursed her lips as she stared at them, her eyes roving over her injured friend.

Yongsun didn't realize she was back on observing the priestess, seeing a hunting bow hanging from her shoulder that looked so out of place on her robes. She glanced away when Hyejin turned to her, feeling like an idiot for being caught staring. She ignored the snickers coming from a certain blonde.

"Can I borrow that for a moment?" Yongsun pointed at the bloodied bandages Hyejin was carrying. The priestess handed it over to her, a question on her face.

Yongsun focused at the tip of her finger, stroking the air in front of her into a huge sigil. The sigil twisted and morphed into an astral wolf, pawing and shaking its head as if it were a real wolf. Hyejin gasped from behind her while Byulyi raised her brow. Yongsun held the bandages out and the wolf took it in its mouth. She gave a sharp whistle and the wolf took off, heading north and away from Naju.

"That should give us at least three days," Yongsun said when she saw the wonder on Hyejin's face. "It'd throw off the bloodhounds and hunters that's still looking for you."

"That's amazing," Hyejin commented, looking like she had just seen magicke for the first time. Yongsun didn't doubt it, the priestess had probably only known healing magicke and holy spells her whole life and hadn't even touched a magister's spell book, or something even rarer, a witch's grimoire.

But then how did a mere priestess from a small monastery knew how to invoke an  _ oath taking? _

The question was at the tip of her tongue but it'd have to wait. They really needed to clear out of the camp now. The earlier they leave, the better—the last thing they needed was to get caught by another group of bounty hunters whose after a girl Yongsun just sworn under her protection. She mounted Jingjing, pulling Hyejin up and the priestess settled behind her. She ignored the way her skin seemed to sing at the girl's touch. Yongsun imagined the girl feeling the same with the way she gingerly clutched at her waist.

"We should head down the river," Byulyi said, giving Yongsun the needed distraction, "That's a few more days added to our little trip."

"That's fine." A few more days wouldn't be a problem. It was better to stay clear of any of the villages on the way to Naju as that would be the first places hunters would look around. It didn't help that four women travelling together was already a rare sight and would no doubt attract the wrong kind of attention. They should stay in the woods for the next few days just to be safe and Yongsun told Byulyi as such. "Let's go."

Byulyi set a fast pace for them, but not too fast that Jingjing was left behind. This would stress her mare, and it didn't help that they were a bit encumbered now with the extra passenger and added supplies. She could only pat and coo at her horse, promising a treat at the end of it.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't actually asked for your name," said Hyejin, her voice coming right behind her ear that Yongsun nearly jumped.

"Kim Yongsun," she answered, then she jerked her mouth towards her partner. "That's Moon Byulyi."

Hyejin's arms tightened around her, her lips nearly touching her ear as she whispered, "Your friend… she's not human, is she?"

Yongsun's lips curved into a wry smile. "Something like that." She twisted around and saw the question in Hyejin's eyes. "It's a sensitive subject for her though."

"Oh." Hyejin hummed, resting her chin on Yongsun's shoulder. She tried hard not to fidget, the girl was obviously touchy—if the way she touched her werewolf friend was anything to go by—and the magicke had probably made her an extra bit affectionate to her too but this kind of physical affection has always been an unfamiliar territory for Yongsun. Still, she steeled herself, silently reciting the laws of alchemy within her head in an effort to distract herself.

"I thought you were a witch."

"I kinda am," Yongsun said, then she raised her wolf pendant. "I just happened to have a trinket that tells people I can use my magicke out in the open." It was more than a trinket but she believed Hyejin understood the joke.

Hyejin laughed, and Yongsun ignored the way her stomach seemed to flutter at the sound. "I guess that's true."

The girl eventually settled against her, her breathing evening out as she fell asleep. The priestess had no doubt been through a lot for the last few days.

The pink tint on Yongsun's face didn't go unnoticed to a certain blonde who has a huge grin on her face, her canines on display.

"They did say the best sex is with those touched by the veil!" Byulyi jibed.

"Shut up!" Yongsun hissed. It was unfortunate how her sleeping passenger prevented her from setting the annoying blonde on fire.

Oh how she wished she could smack that annoying smile off her face!

* * *

They ran until the sun had nearly set and they could hear the distinct rushing sounds of water. Byulyi led them off the main road, heading for where the river had branched off into smaller streams. They followed the water for a while, walking their horses within the stream to wash off their scent before crossing over. Byulyi then found them a good place to camp, the ground high and surrounded by shrubbery.

Yongsun helped Byulyi set up the camp while Hyejin went back to the stream to wash away the blood off her and her friend—who was still unconscious. 

"She lost a lot of blood," Byulyi explained, as she loosened Daebakie's saddle and then Jingjing's. "It didn't help it was after her first turning."

"How'd you know it's her first turning?" 

Byulyi raised her brow. "You know why more than anyone."

Yongsun's mind went to a distant memory of being lost and alone, of dark amber eyes staring at her with amusement and a great hunger. The image immediately melted away as she met those same eyes, now soft and maybe a little bit annoyed. "I guess the answer was quite obvious."

"Duh." Byulyi snorted, dropping next to the fire and chomping on a piece of jerky. She stared at the flames, a thoughtful look on her face. "Why are we really going east, Yong?" 

Yongsun settled down next to her, clutching her own jerky. She chewed on her lip, her mind slowly piecing up an answer that was more than  _ 'it's a gut feeling'. _

"It's  _ her, _ isn't it?" It felt almost shameful to nod her head. Byulyi sighed loudly, head dropping. "Off  _ we _ go chasing ghosts, while we're babysitting those two," the blonde added as she jerked her head to one of the tents that Wheein had already occupied. "With a werewolf with us now, the meat will be out in just a few days." Byulyi shook said jerky in her hand.

Yongsun winced. "I know I said I'd listen to your inputs more and yet I went and decided for us." She had always been a bit bossy and it was something she was working on with Byulyi, but she somehow found herself attached to the pair she brought in and the thought of just leaving them wasn't something she could do. Somehow they reminded her of the past—of years spent in the wild and fending for  _ her  _ and herself, and an old man who couldn't care less on what they eat or drink. She couldn't just leave the girls to a similar fate.

Byulyi chuckled, a wry smile on her lips. "I kinda signed up for this when I started following you around."

"That's not—" Yongsun pursed her lips. An awkward silence erupted between them—this was a conversation they had multiple times before and a conversation they would continue to have in the future, but both of them weren't in the mood for arguments at the moment.

Not for long, Yongsun thoughts went towards the young pair they picked up instead. It was strange for Templars to go after a single werewolf—granted she apparently 'killed' a priestess but it wasn't exactly a priority case for Templars. What she also wanted to know was what was this 'missing Head Priest' and their involvement with it... She wanted to voice this to Byulyi but before she could, she saw Hyejin from across them.

Hyejin was walking towards the camp, looking fresh-faced and her bloodied robes were now replaced by clean ones. She gave them an odd look before she slipped inside Wheein's tent, a wet rag in her hands. A moment later, she walked out, discarding the rag to the side before settling across them on the fire.

"Here." Byulyi threw a wrapped up piece of salted meat towards Hyejin, the girl catching and nearly dropping it. She muttered a soft thanks, saying a short prayer then digging in. Yongsun shot her a smile which she immediately returned, a pinkish tint on her face.

Byulyi suddenly stood up, clearing her throat obnoxiously as she brushed her hands on her trousers. "I'll be the first watch," was what she declared before stomping off towards the horses.

Suddenly left alone with the priestess, Yongsun found herself glancing over at Byulyi's retreating back and wanting to run away. The last thing she wanted was to do something inappropriate when both of them were still very much affected by their magicke.

Would it be rude to suddenly call it a night? Before she could think much of it, she was already saying a quick goodnight and had retreated to the only other vacant tent.

Hyejin must've thought she looked like a complete idiot or a coward for running away like that.

And honestly? Yongsun probably was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo bruhs! So this chapter is very dialogue heavy and not much action than I expected it to be… so sorry!
> 
> I hope it didn't bore you as much. And it's a little shorter as compared to the first chapter, my bad.
> 
> So what do you guys think?
> 
>  **Chapter terminologies:**  
>  Iron Bulls - They are another hunters guild.  
> Those touched by the veil - Byulyi is referring to magicke users.  
> The veil - The alleged gateway between the realm of the living and the dead. It is believed that magicke came from this realm.  
> Oath taking - I think this is self-explanatory. But to be clear not all magic users can invoke an oath taking.  
> Witch - a female magicke user. More info to come.  
> Magister - a high-ranking male magicke user within the courts of the Magisterium.  
> Magisterium - a magical court composed of multiple magisters, they oversee all things that relates to magicke. More info to come.  
> Grand Templars - They are the Magisterium's enforcers and upholds their laws. More info to come.
> 
> I feel like I dumped a bunch of terms about this world. I really, really want to just explain everything here and get on with it but I feel like I'd break the narrative that I established. Please stick with me and all will be revealed in time.
> 
> If you have questions or clarifications regarding the chapter, please just ask. I might edit this chapter with your questions and answers just so everyone could see it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyejin has to navigate between making new friends and Wheein's new status as a werewolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think Byulyi and Wheein is similar because of the hair then that's my bad lmao. I just like platinum blonde!byul I didn't realized she basically have the same hair color as my ult bias short-haired platinum blonde!wheein. I guess I just love blondes hahahahahaha
> 
> More dialogues! And more worldbuilding! And lore!
> 
> A quick note, since the story is going to be told from **4 different point of views** , every one of them has their own _personal biases_ when it comes to the world's lore, etc. Keep this in mind while you read through.
> 
> Cheers!

"Wheein—"

"It's fine. I'm fine." Wheein felt like a broken record at this point, repeating the same words over and over again; but she knew that Hyejin could see the way her hands were shaking or how she couldn't keep herself in place. With the way her heart was beating so loudly in her chest, she didn't doubt that Hyejin could hear it from where she was standing.

Today was the day Wheein would lose herself to the whims of the full moon—nothing else had scared her as much as this. Not even when she was staring at _death_ —with its sharpened teeth and cruel grin.

Wheein heard a whine, like a pathetic puppy kicked by its owner.

"Wheein," Hyejin repeated, a hand on her arm. It was then Wheein realized the sound was coming from herself.

She didn't hold back the curse from leaving her lips, hands clenched into fists as they trembled with the desire to hit something.

She didn't want this. Why did it had to be her? Why couldn't it be someone else?

No, no— it couldn't be someone else. It _had_ to be her, because then— then it would had been Hyejin.

It couldn't be Hyejin.

Wheein would never and has never allowed it.

It didn't mean she liked what had happened and now she was living with the aftermath of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But Wheein knew one thing, it was that she would save Hyejin again in a heartbeat—no matter what became of her, she would even sell her soul to the Mistress if it came to it.

 _Only the Mistress already owns me,_ she thought miserably. Unable to touch the lightest of magicke, a slave to the full moon, a beast lingering underneath her skin— No, Wheein was no longer human.

Wheein bit back the snarl that was building up in her chest. It scared her how much her tempered had shortened, she already had a bit of a temper before but it was worse now, and she hated how she couldn't control it.

She knew how much she was scaring Hyejin right now, with her pacing and the way she kept clenching and unclenching her hands. She could feel an itch underneath her skin, something lingering and pacing along with her like a beast inside a cage - wanting to break free, to tear apart her skin and to

_devour._

There was a hunger she couldn't understand, a churning in her stomach.

She knew hunger, she knew being starved and eating scraps, but this _hunger_ was different.

It scared her. No, it frightened her, the thought of turning into a mindless beast, and a slave to a primal instinct she couldn't hope to understand.

'Fine' was an overstatement.

No, she wasn't fine at all.

"Wheein! Where are you going?"

She needed to run.

_"Wheein!"_

Something was calling her.

_"WHEEIN!"_

She was just _so_ hungry.

* * *

She dreamed of a stag, so huge and tall and yet when she stood next to it, it fell in one quick swipe.

She remembered feeling so hungry, she just took a bite.

She didn't think it was strange how good the stag tasted.

She just wanted to _eat._

* * *

She dreamed of running, just running through the forest and weaving through the trees.

She felt free…?

But wasn't she forgetting something… or someone?

There was someone important.

She has to go back.

Where is _she?_

* * *

She dreamed of men and fire and silver glinting in the night.

And _her._

 _She_ was there, wasn't _she?_

They were going to hurt _her._

No.

Nononono.

They couldn't touch what was hers.

And so Wheein hurt them first.

* * *

When she came to, the first thing she knew was pain.

Just _pain._

Distantly, she could hear a voice calling her, but her mind blurs with the pain.

She closed her eyes.

She just wanted to _sleep._

* * *

_"Please you have to help her."_

_"I will. I'll help her if you let me, okay?"_

_"I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Wheein."_

No, it's okay. Just don't go away.

Come back.

Hyejin.

Where are you?

_"I'm here. I'm not leaving. It's okay."_

Okay.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair between quick smiles and awkward silence. She might had only known Yongsun for a brief moment, but it wasn't all that hard to guess how she was completely avoiding her. Granted she was subtle about it, but Hyejin felt a bit put off.

Moon Byulyi on the other hand was a mix of hostile side-glances and teasing wide grins with an irked undertone.

Hyejin understood the woman's attitude as she and Wheein basically crashed into this relationship of theirs. Last thing they needed was a runaway priestess and a werewolf.

Speaking of Wheein, Hyejin dreaded the inevitable annoyance from the now-blonde.

What would she say when she learns that after running away from a bounty hunter from home, they're now acting chums with another?

She just hoped her best friend wouldn't be _too_ annoyed, which was a bit hard to hope for since Wheein had been a little _too_ unstable after the 'incident'.

Goddess, their lives had been messed up for the past month.

To think that the Templars knew what they'd done.

Hyejin rubbed at her hands, feeling the slick feeling of blood. She knew it wasn't there, not really, but no matter how many times she washed them, she could still feel it.

Wheein probably had it worse.

Hyejin could remember the anger on her face as she slit _his_ throat.

She hated herself for thinking it but Wheein frightened her that day.

"Hey, you okay?"

Hyejin glanced up to see those kind brown eyes staring at her with worry. She guessed Yongsun had had enough dancing on eggshells around her. Or was it the magicke that goaded her? Who knows? But Hyejin liked to think that Yongsun was just too kind not to worry about her.

Hyejin cracked a smile that felt too forced, clutching at her robes to hide her shaking hands.

"I'm fine."

She just knew Yongsun didn't believed her when she sat next to her to rub on her shoulders. "Your friend, Wheein, she's strong. She's going to be okay."

Yes, Wheein is strong. Hyejin knew that.

But why did it felt like they lost to _him_ when _he_ died on Wheein's knife?

They definitely didn't felt strong that day, nor the past few days.

Oh Gods, Wheein killed them too, didn't she?

Hyejin could just feel her heart breaking, she knew this would torment Wheein for days—her sweet Wheein.

Why did it had to be her?

"I ask that to myself sometimes." Hyejin jerked towards Yongsun, having not realized she voiced her question out loud. "But you know, you just have to keep on moving—keep on living, sometimes stuff gets too hard but sometimes good things happen too," she said, a charming grin on her face.

Hyejin could feel herself blushing, glancing away from the older woman.

"Wheein will be confused, and she'll have to deal with a lot of things being a werewolf now." Yongsun squeezed on her shoulder before standing up, holding a hand down at her. "But you're here to support her, right?"

Hyejin stared at that hand, the same hand that took hers in a vow just yesterday. Hyejin could still feel the power that came from them, the scent of morning dew that filled her nose and the lightness that came from it, so clean and pure. She could almost imagine it coursing through her once more when she took that hand and pulled herself up.

"Yes," she answered after a while, pulling her hand away.

It wasn't a lie. No matter what happens, she would always be there for Wheein.

Yongsun smiled brightly, it almost looked blinding. "That's good, but this time you have us to help you."

Hyejin felt speechless, like an unseen weight was lifted up her shoulders. "I— thank you."

She didn't want to think of it but she had been scared. For the first time in her life, she walked out of the monastery's walls, armed with the knowledge she had only read through books from the library—and it had floored her to know that reading stuff from a book was completely different from the real thing. Life, no matter how hard the author tried to put it in ink and paper, was so different in reality, and Hyejin just realized how foolish she was to believed it would be so easy.

Did Wheein hated her for how useless she was?

Hyejin ignored the way her throat seemed to constrict, or the insistent sting at the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to think what the answer could be.

She watched as Yongsun jumped at Byulyi's call, asking for the woman to get a move on. Yongsun shot her a quick smile before getting back to packing their supplies back to their horses. Hyejin found herself walking over to Wheein's cot, which Byulyi had pulled out of the tent—Hyejin had kept a close eye on her of course, just to make sure she didn't jostle her injured friend. The woman didn't do anything, and Hyejin wondered if she was just waiting for Byulyi to do something just so she could get an excuse to—

_To what?_

She shook her head, settling next to Wheein instead. She checked her wound, and it was looking a bit better than it did yesterday. Her temperature was high, but Wheein's temperature had risen ever since she got bitten. She had read something like that, of werewolves having the rivers of hell running in their blood. She had believed it then, but now her friend was one, she couldn't accept it now. She refused to believe something so vile could be within her friend.

She felt ashamed then, for believing something as close-minded as that. She told herself to open her mind now, that perhaps not everything that she was taught could be the truth.

It'll probably take a while to convince Wheein too.

Hyejin sighed, dropping her head next to Wheein's. "Wake up, Wheein," she whispered to her, but Wheein remained unresponsive. She really missed her friend, the last coherent conversation they had was five days ago, before she ran away, but it had been barely coherent at best.

She remembered feeling scared, left alone in the woods for the rest of the night.

Then she remembered how her heart stopped in fright when a huge silver wolf approached her, all sharp teeth and covered in blood. She had thought she would die then, believing it so, and wishing so hard that Wheein was there. But the wolf had been Wheein herself, and Hyejin remembered feeling amazed as she watched that wolf curl into itself and turn back into her friend.

She didn't recognize her at first, her hair having changed then, but one look at her unconscious face, she knew it was her missing friend. She had spent the day tending to her, and she was unconscious then too. It worried her that Wheein might never wake up ever again, but it was just the second day of the full moon and Hyejin found herself watching the turning right in front of her.

She remembered meeting those bright amber eyes staring at her, and she remembered thinking, _'this can't be Wheein',_ and the thought disgusted her so much she didn't try calling for her friend when she ran away once more.

The second night was spent the same as the first, lying awake as she stewed in the guilt her own thoughts had sprouted within her, and wondering why Wheein hadn't struck her down then and there.

Could it be the Wheein recognized her?

Hyejin liked to believe so, and the thought warmed her that when Wheein returned—the moon still high in the sky—she wrapped her arms around that thick furry neck, and she had never felt safer anywhere else. She wondered how she could ever doubt that this wolf wasn't her friend.

But then the third day came and Hyejin learned that Wheein was still very much a _wolf._

She didn't want to think it, but perhaps the stories were true - and it hurts her to think that Wheein frightened her that night.

_But she saved me again, didn't she?_

Hyejin's arms tightened around Wheein. At that moment, she silently promised to herself to be stronger.

She has to be, for Wheein's sake.

* * *

The sun was now at its highest, the sound of birds and the rhythmic patting of the horses' hooves on the ground were like a lullaby for Hyejin, finding herself comfortably resting against Yongsun back. The woman had stiffened first at the contact but had relaxed a little later on.

Hyejin tried to distract herself from her thoughts but her mind kept going back to Wheein's current condition. Yongsun had explained earlier that Wheein had lost a lot of blood, but being a werewolf apparently guaranteed her survival, especially that the process she did to close Wheein's wound had removed any traces of silver. The wound was ugly, if Hyejin was being honest, but she tried her best to keep it clean, applying a homemade ointment—unblessed, of course—on it every time she went to change the bandages.

She didn't really know much about Wheein's affliction, nothing beyond what she read from her books. Granted she wasn't the most studious, but the materials available to her back at the monastery's library were quite limited in its knowledge when it comes to Werewolves. Well, beyond how to kill a werewolf, which there was an abundance of ways to do apparently.

Hyejin shivered, not wanting to think what would have happened had Yongsun hadn't found them, or if she were someone else—like those Iron Bulls.

(Hyejin had vaguely heard of different Hunter's Guilds, the Iron Bulls being one of them. She wasn't as familiar with Yongsun's guild, the wolf pendant obviously indicates the Order of the Direwolf. She didn't really know how the guilds differ with each other, only that they all hunt creatures of the Darke.)

 _Not all of them though,_ Hyejin thought, her eyes going to Byulyi's back.

Perhaps that was how Direwolves differ then? She had always known Iron Bulls were quite infamous for being indiscriminate when it comes to what they hunted. She had wondered how many peaceful creatures had died under them, hunted down just because they were different from humans—like how her and Wheein were hunted down.

She could still see the glint of silver whenever she closes her eyes, the hateful glares of the hunters directed at her. They didn't care she was just a human girl, hells, they probably thought she was a witch protecting her werewolf pet.

 _Pet._ A sneer crossed her lips. That was one other thing she heard about werewolves—if they weren't crazed lone wolves, they were apparently kept as pets by magisters or by vampires. She hadn't actually seen a pet werewolf, the one who bit Wheein the only other she saw—and a rabid one too—but to think that people unlucky enough to be afflicted by a curse were being kept as low as a pet. Had the crazed wolf that bit Wheein an escaped pet? Abused and tortured by its master, knowing nothing beyond the pain inflicted to him and so had went to inflict the same pain onto others? Her hands clenched into fists, nails digging crescents on her palms. It was quite unfair, she thought and she found herself stewing in silent anger at the injustice.

Why did it had to be Wheein?

Hyejin sighed, her shoulders loosening and her hands relaxing on Yongsun's waist. It was useless to dwell on these things and right now, Hyejin could only move forward. She intends to help Wheein every step of the way. No matter what it takes.

 

"Teach me."

"I'm sorry, what?" Yongsun blurted out, nearly falling off her horse at Hyejin's sudden question.

Hyejin gently ran a finger over the material of Yongsun's jacket. Her mind had been running since the conversation they had that morning and the thoughts it provoked within her that she just had to ask. "Teach me magicke," she repeated, her voice firm.

Hyejin could hear the rush of blood in her ears, dreading the possibility of Yongsun refusing her.

Yongsun was silent, and Hyejin nearly wanted to take her question back. Was it too much to ask?

"Okay."

Yongsun's voice was so small and soft that Hyejin nearly missed her answer.

Hyejin couldn't hold back her grin. She threw her arms around the older woman. "Thank you!"

"Yes, well," Yongsun cleared her throat, "It would be hard and you have to be patient."

"Thank you, thank you!" Hyejin peered into the woman's eyes. It might've been the magicke or something else as she felt a bit cheeky, leaning in to whisper into the woman's ear, _"Maestro."_

Yongsun ducked down, but Hyejin could see her face glowing red. At the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw Byulyi whipping her head away.

"Well," Yongsun started after gathering herself, "what spells do you know beyond the healing spells?"

Hyejin blinked, her eyes boring on the side of Yongsun's head.

Yongsun fidgeted under her gaze. "Aaand you probably don't know anything beyond what they teach you?"

Hyejin briskly nodded her head.

"Of course," Yongsun murmured. "How did that old man do it?" Yongsun's muttering sparked a question in her head.

"Who taught you?"

Yongsun took a moment, and Hyejin could see her mindlessly twisting the reins in her hands.

"A magister," Yongsun said after a moment, "but he was exiled from the court, shamed and disgraced. Even his own family disowned him.

He was a hermit… or he lived as one." Yongsun suddenly laughed, but it sounded empty in her ears.

"Why was he exiled?"

Yongsun grinned, but it looked too wide and forced. "He questioned the Witch Hunts." Then she shrugged, "No one wanted his opinion, I guess."

"Is that why he taught you, because he didn't believe in the Witch Hunts?" Hyejin asked quietly. The Witch Hunts had always felt like a ghost tale to Hyejin, given to them by the High Priestess as warning if they ever dared wade beyond the Holy magicks of the Matron. She had never wondered about the women, old and young, probably executed whether they wield the darkest of magicks or not, some were probably executed for just lighting a candle. It was sad to think about the women who lived in fear and unable to use their gift from the veil out in the open.

"Maybe?" Yongsun answered, tilting her head to the side, "or he just wanted to get back at the Magisterium, because he was teaching a girl magicke she shouldn't know. I was his biggest 'fuck you' to them, or something like that."

"I take it he wasn't the best," Hyejin commented, noticing the hard tone the older woman adopted.

Yongsun shook her head but there was a small smile on her face. "No, he wasn't, but hey! I know magicke most don't even know!"

 _"Sometimes good things happen too,"_ Hyejin muttered.

Yongsun grinned that charming grin. "That's right!"

Hyejin found herself mirroring that same grin.

She thinks she might like Yongsun.

There was a lull in their conversation and Hyejin found herself staring at a distant spot at the sky, slowly growing larger and larger until she realized it was a huge bird.

Hyejin nearly jumped in surprise as the same bird suddenly dove in front of her, jerking back and pulling hard on Yongsun who pulled on the reins.

"Yah!" Yongsun squawked, more out of surprise than annoyance.

The hawk didn't looked like a normal hawk, but more like that astral wolf Yongsun had conjured. Yongsun finally noticed the huge bird circling them, holding out an arm and whistling. The hawk took its perch on her arm, fluffing out its wings as if it were a real bird, then it opened its beak. Nothing would prepare Hyejin for what happened next.

"Solar!" The bird chirped. Hyejin's eyes widened. Its voice didn't sound like a hawk but a young woman's voice, light and bright. "Good work on Gusan! As expected from the _Dragon_ of the wildes!"

"Dragon of the wildes?" Hyejin repeated.

Yongsun slapped a hand on her face, cheeks flushed. "Seriously, Bomi?"

Byulyi was silently chuckling a few paces away from them.

The hawk continued, apparently unable to hear them. "I got your request for more jobs from the east area and around Naju area! Well, we got a lot of bounties for witches, monsters, vampires and you know, the usually guys that's around the eastern border, being so close Yeon-Il and all that." The hawk coughed, which Hyejin found so strange and endearing at the same time. "Anyway! All priority jobs are in Naju, there's a black market on going over there and they're looking for more investigators. Then some whispers of a cult south of Naju, a cult called the Black Rose. Not much info on that, and you won't believe this, but it's a request from Templars!"

Hyejin noticed the way Yongsun and Byulyi exchanged glances at that. The hawk—or _Bomi?—_ spouted a few more jobs, Hyejin feeling quite dizzy at this point from the amount of requests. She felt like she was learning about the land for the first time. She knew smaller villages and towns tend to request for help from bounty hunters, but she didn't think the amount of trouble they face were that much!

"Oh by the way! I know you're asking for non-requests, so I got you one! We got a report of men missing from a small logging village called Geumsu. It's a bit of a detour but I'm sure you won't mind!"

"Geumsu." Yongsun glanced over at Byulyi, who pulled out a map.

"No one has put on a request though and no possible reward, and it could be just nothing so it's up to you if you want to check it out!" the hawk added. "Well, that's all I got! I hope you come visit us in the guild when you have free time! Chorong and I missed you!" The hawk sang, and Hyejin giggled as the hawk seemed to dance on Yongsun's arm. "Oh, bring Moonbyul too! May the Direwolf protect you!"

The hawk then just disintegrated, turning into light wisps that flew away with the wind.

"Well," Yongsun started, rubbing her hands together. "We got work to do!"

"If we're going to Geumsu, we either backtrack to the fork we passed an hour ago or we cut through the woods," Byulyi said, folding up the map and slipping it back to her satchel, her movements slow and careful as not to jostle her still unconscious passenger. "If we go through the woods, we might get there early in the morning—that is if we forgo setting up camp, or around midday if we do."

"We just cut through the woods," Yongsun replied after a while, leading her horse to side of the road with Byulyi following them. "Since we've already stopped, let's take a breather then off to Geumsu. Jingjing probably hates me right now too."

* * *

Hyejin watched as Yongsun carefully took Wheein from Byulyi's arms, allowing the other woman to dismount her own horse. Yongsun then laid her against a tree. She glanced over at Hyejin as if asking for her approval. Hyejin just nodded to which Yongsun smiled in reply. Byulyi handed them food before taking shade under another tree.

Hyejin stared at the wrapped jerky, before she found herself staring at the blonde woman. There was something about her that was drawing Hyejin's curiosity—and perhaps the care that she seemed to possess when she was holding Wheein was making her feel a bit guilty for thinking bad of her.

Although Byulyi wasn't exactly the friendliest person she met, and she met worse, she liked to think that she's a good judge of character.

"Thank you."

"Hmm?" Byulyi looked up at her, ripping a piece of jerky with her teeth. Hyejin fidgeted under those dark amber eyes. For a moment she wondered if she and Wheein were the same. "Whafo?" Byulyi asked between chews. Hyejin tried not to stare at the angry wound at her temple. She briefly wondered where the blonde had gotten it.

"For carrying Wheein, I know she isn't the lightest person around—"

Byulyi raised a brow, an amused smirk on her face. "Are you calling your friend fat?"

Hyejin sputtered. "No! It's just that you're so thin, have you seen your noodle arms?"

Byulyi barked in laughter, and Hyejin caught a glimpse of her sharper than normal canines. "Believe me, I can carry things larger than your tiny pet."

And just like that, Hyejin's annoyance from yesterday returned. "Stop that! She's not a pet!"

"Coulda' fooled me," Byulyi snorted, resting back against the tree she was leaning against. Byulyi had turned her attention away from her, and Hyejin could feel her temper rising. But it was probably not worth trying to argue with the older woman. Hells, even Yongsun found her annoying!

Hyejin couldn't understand how the two of them were even together.

She huffed, walking away from the older blonde to where Wheein was resting, wondering why she even tried to approach the woman.

She was idling and chewing on meat that tasted more like a huge piece of salt and just as hard as stone, when she noticed the way Wheein's eyelids were fluttering. She sat up alarmed as she rested a hand against that pale cheek. "Wheein? Wheeinah?"

The groan that left her pale chapped lips made Hyejin shout in joy.

"Wheein!"

Wheein's face scrunched minutely, lips slightly raising in a grimace. Hyejin distantly noticed Yongsun coming closer to them from the corner of her eyes. Hyejin could feel heart in her throat, watching her best friend closely, her lids tightening before opening a sliver, revealing those bright amber eyes.

"Wheein!" Hyejin felt relieved as Wheein hummed in reply, before groaning loudly.

"Hyej…" she croaked out, before going into a coughing fit, a hand raising for a moment before dropping as she curled against herself.

Hyejin was about to ask for water but Yongsun was already holding a canteen out towards her face. She immediately took the offered container. She slightly raised Wheein's head as she carefully tipped the canteen on her lips. She made sure Wheein only took sips, pulling away when the werewolf tried to tip the container further.

Wheein hissed, eyes closing tightly as curled into her side. "It hurts…"

"You're hurt, don't move too much Wheeinah." Hyejin brushed back those blonde locks, feeling the sweat covering her temples.

"Here, this helps with the pain," Byulyi said. Before Hyejin could check, the older woman was already tipping a bottle filled with a clear bronze colored liquid into Wheein's mouth.

Wheein spat it out, before going back into coughing fits.

"Hey! You just wasted a mouthful of perfectly good whiskey!"

"What?!" Hyejin screeched, glaring daggers at the blonde's face.

Byulyi merely shrugged, taking a good swig from the bottle before offering it back to Wheein. "It helps, I promise."

Hyejin helplessly glanced at Yongsun who was biting her lips, her gaze darting between the three of them before settling them on her.

"It does help," Yongsun answered, words slow and careful. "You can trust her, Hyejinah."

Hyejin didn't know if alcohol could actually help.

"She's a fucking werewolf, she won't die from whiskey," Byulyi said, "at least I haven't seen one, maybe this could be a firs—"

"Goddess— Byulyi shut up!" Yongsun hissed, giving her a hard nudge to the ribs. Byulyi flinched at the hit, sending a glare at the other woman.

"Alright, fine," Hyejin finally said, unable to keep her friend in pain any longer.

"You have to finish all of it though, for it to help," Byulyi told Wheein, but the girl looked too out of it to understand what she was telling her. "I'll take that as a yes."

Hyejin watched as Byulyi helped Wheein drink, pausing once and a while when Wheein started coughing. It took a while for Wheein to finish the whole bottle, but she did it.

"Wheein."

Wheein turned to her, eyes hazy from the pain and the alcohol. She moved as if to sit up, hissing through clenched teeth, grasping tight on Hyejin's robes.

"Take your time," Hyejin told her. Wheein blinked up at her, as if seeing her for the first time. Those bright amber eyes were roving around her face, drinking her up and her every detail to the point Hyejin felt her face heating up at its intensity. "I'm okay," she tried instead. Wheein sighed, accepting her answer, her eyes closing shut.

Wheein's head lolled back, gaze unfocused as her eyes dragged themselves from her face to Yongsun and Byulyi. Then Hyejin watched as Wheein's pupil dilated, sitting up so suddenly, Hyejin felt dizzy at the sudden movement. She felt herself being pushed backwards, a growl so loud, it shook her bones, her eyes darting around for a moment before she realized it was coming in front of her.

Wheein was hunched over, Hyejin couldn't see her face but she could see the way her shaking shoulders were tensed and the way she was clenching and unclenching her fists.

She looked past her friend to see Byulyi and Yongsun in an identical position, the blonde protectively holding back the bounty hunter, only there was a menacing grin on Byulyi's face.

"Puppy got fangs, I see," Byulyi commented, her own fangs bared in a dark grin.

Wheein answered with a snarl, Hyejin was surprised to hear such an angry sound from her usually cool headed friend. She never heard Wheein make a sound as terrifying as that, only having heard it in her wolf form

"Alright, calm down," Yongsun tried, but that only seemed to agitate Wheein further, a steady rolling sound coming deep from her throat.

"Yongsun, shut up."

Hyejin just knew something bad was going to happen if she let this continue, and she refused to stand at the side again and watch it happen.

Her hand darted out, grasping at the edges of Wheein's shirt in hopes of calming her friend. The werewolf froze at the touch, the growl turning into a choked sound, her tensed shoulders dropping as she slowly sank to her knees as if a puppet cut at its strings.

"Wheein!" Alarmed, Hyejin grasped at her shoulders, pulling her towards her. Wheein was clutching at her abdomen, she no doubt had pulled at the healing skin with her sudden movement. Hyejin pulled up her shirt, her suspicions true as she saw blood staining the bandages. "You idiot!" Hyejin hissed more out of frustration than thinking it so. "I told you not to move!"

Wheein whimpered, eyes shut tight. Byulyi dropped her stance, an almost disappointed look at her face that grated on the edges of Hyejin's nerves. Yongsun knelt on Wheein's other side, her friend snarling lowly at her presence. Hyejin flicked the blonde on the forehead, cutting off the aggressive sound.

Yongsun raised a brow at the action but thankfully did not comment on it. She slowly unwound Wheein's bandages, pulling it off the wound with great care. Wheein had pulled on the healing skin, blood welling from the deepest part of the wound but it was thankfully smaller than Hyejin thought. It was at this moment Hyejin cursed not being able to use her magicke on her friend, it would had been healed the moment she got it but as the Matron's Holy magicke and the Mistress's spawns are the greatest of enemies, Hyejin found herself unable to help her closest friend.

"I'll just change her bandages," Yongsun said, after dabbing away the blood and putting ointment on the wound. "I doubt our new friend here will like me try to close it again."

Hyejin looked over at Wheein who was staring at Yongsun so intensely, she looked like she was about to bite the woman's hand off. _Which wasn't too far off_ , Hyejin thought with a wince.

Yongsun finished up, making sure the bandages were extra tight to keep the wound from bleeding any further. "You shouldn't move too much," she told the blonde who only growled in reply, baring her teeth at her. Hyejin was confused at this point, Wheein was acting like a complete animal and it wasn't exactly helping against the argument of 'werewolves are mindless beasts'.

Yongsun didn't seemed threatened by her however, moving swiftly and clearing up in just a few moments, backing up and giving them a wide berth after all was done. Wheein seemed to calm at that, but was staring at the pair with the alertness the reminded Hyejin so much of Jinbei, a hunting dog owned by the old workhand back at the monastery (She didn't like that dog much. Wheein loved him though).

Byulyi came forward next and Wheein apparently found her more of threat than Yongsun, and had Hyejin wasn't holding her down at that moment, she would've sprung back to her feet. Byulyi didn't linger and had dropped a bag right next to them, walking away without so much of a word. Hyejin felt confused at first, before her mind went into panic—that the pair intend to leave the two of them and that was Byulyi dropping their things. But as she checked the bag, she was surprised to see a whole week's supply of cured meat and a few bottles of whiskey. She glanced up to see Yongsun gesturing over it with a huge grin, miming eating then twisting her face into what she must think was Wheein, baring her teeth and making clawing motions.

Hyejin laughed, feeling quite relieved. Wheein perked up at the sound, her eyes wide as she stared at Hyejin with an innocence she had never seen on the other girl.

Hyejin giggled, sounding just a bit hysterical if she listened to herself closely.

It wasn't all that hard to make Wheein eat.

And eat she did.

* * *

"They're asleep," Byulyi said, walking away from the tent.

Yongsun crossed her arms, dropping her head back as she let the wind blow through her long hair.

"What a mess," she murmured, brushing a stubborn strand behind her ear. "I just realized I am way over my head thinking I could help them."

Byulyi crossed her own arms, already dreading the incoming conversation.

It wasn't all that hard to guess what Yongsun was about to ask of her.

But Byulyi liked acting like the idiot.

"You seem to be doing just fine."

Yongsun glanced over her, those brown eyes that stared at her for the last three years and still cutting through all the bullshit that sprouted from her mouth. Sometimes Byulyi hated how she could never hide anything from the bounty hunter.

 _That's what makes her good at her job, though,_ she thought wryly.

"You could help her, you know?"

The dreaded words.

Byulyi couldn't hold back the snarl. "No! You don't know what you're asking from me, Kim Yongsun."

"No, perhaps not but don't you want to do things differently? You're the only one who understands her more than anyone here." Byulyi hated how imploring Yongsun sounded. So good. So righteous. No. Not righteous. Just _right._ "I trust you, Moon Byulyi."

Those words, the words that almost made her want to say yes. Byulyi bit her lip, biting so hard she drew blood. The taste of iron filled her mouth, and she found that insistent pounding at the back of her head subsiding. She sighed, calming herself but she knew it was a lie when her hands were still shaking.

"I can't make promises," Byulyi said after a while, looking at the side, staring at nothing as images of a past she wished to forget played before her eyes. She frowned, nails digging on her arms and the pain made the images return to that box she carefully locked at the darkest recesses of her mind. "I've done things I will never be proud of. I— don't make it hard for me… please." She hated how voice sounded so weak right then.

"Then just tiny steps, make her understand herself, just keep reminding yourself she's not some wild beast you have to train."

Byulyi laughed, low and hollow. "Then I have a lot of things to learn myself."

Yongsun was silent, and Byulyi tried so hard not to stare at the way Yongsun was rubbing at her left wrist. She could feel an aching in her mouth, the wound at her hairline and the tenderness at her ribs.

"Go to sleep, Yong," Byulyi told her, walking away before her instincts got the better of her. She ignored the way Yongsun's eyes were digging holes on her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's a slow chapter, so sorry. We've mostly rolled around in Hyejin's headspace and a bit about Wheesa's past and it's not exactly rainbows and roses from the get go. A small bit about Yongsun. Byulyi's creature status still remains a mystery, will our dear author ever reveal it? Probably never. Haha jk
> 
> Next chap, some action and our four heroines try to learn to live with each other now, while also dealing with an unstable werewolf! Fun times!
> 
> I want to thank everyone who left comments and kudos, I greatly appreciated it! I withheld on replying to some comments because I could feel myself wanting to spoil the story ~~basically me writing a reply and hitting the backspace cuz it's a spoiler hahahahahaha~~
> 
> Also, a special shoutout to **wheesampa** @aff (or **61wisampa** here in ao3)! She guessed the main inspiration for this story, and it is the Dragon Age series (and also the Elder Scrolls series). Apparently I keep forgetting to write the main inspiration since the first chapter, but not this time! So this story is heavily influenced by them and anyone familiar with DA could obviously see the terms I stole from it lmao ~~because i'm an unimaginative gay bean who only knows how to write cliches~~
> 
> Anyway! If you haven't played them, you better do! I promise you won't regret it!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our four heroines arrive at Geumsu. But there is something more about the village than it meets the eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late. Sorry 'bout that. Let's get right into it.
> 
> Special thanks to **tovanori**! They made a [fanart](https://twitter.com/Tova_nori/status/1144503370574471168?s=20) for this fic and it's totally amazing! Check it out and send them love :D

Sanghyuk wasn't one to believe in ghost stories.

He wasn't one to believe of a witch living in a dilapidated hut standing on chicken legs, of wolves the size of a tree coming out on full moons, of beautiful men and women seducing one for his blood, nor was he one to believe of women taking men in the night and devouring them.

Honestly, they were all hearsays from men too drunk to even form proper sentences and wanted to scare the youngest of their bunch, or from a mad woman telling him to fear the dark and to learn to respect the mystique of the world.

Honestly, it was a load of cock and bull to him. How was he to believe on something he hadn't even seen a single speck nor hide before? 

Sanghyuk liked to think of himself as a scholar, but fate was cruel to him and had made him a son of woman too skittish to move under the eyes of her husband and a father who called him names and ridiculed him for wanting to learn more beyond his station. 

But Sanghyuk was a patient man.

He would work for his father, he would get him his wood. He would feed his mother. Hells, he would be the perfect son!

But one day, when that hidden stash underneath the floorboards of his room was finally full—he would leave his mouse of a mother and his bull of father and travel to Gyeon, the city of scholars and magisters, and he would rise above his station, no longer known as the poor son of a woodcutter.

"Dreaming of the big world again, are ye lad?"

Sanghyuk cracked a polite smile, ever the perfect boy. "Nothing's wrong in dreaming, sir."

The man—he was one of father's men and he couldn't in seven hells remember his name—guffawed, slapping him in the back like he told him a good joke. The scent of liquor reeked from him and all the others and Sanghyuk wanted nothing more but to leave. But they like him when he was the subject of their jokes, insisting their daughters on him, either for him to take them to marriage or to bed, whichever he wanted first.

But Sanghyuk, ever the perfect boy, would refuse so politely, good-humored about everything and the men, too drunk and too blind to keep their eyes on him, would not see him leave the table.

Sanghyuk however, was not always the perfect boy, bumping into that old crone that waits on the men, serving them their liquors and their food and looking just as miserable as his mother.

"Watch it!" he hissed, pushing her so hard she crumpled into the ground with a loud crash, and the men laughed ever so louder and Sanghyuk just knew the woman would hung her head like the waste that she was—like everyone else in this backwater village.

But Sanghyuk found himself looking at her straight in the eyes, and seeing so much hate from a skittish old crone, the same old crone who spouted her nonsense ghost stories. "Know respect, boy," she said, but she was weak and nothing and she didn't scare Sanghyuk at all.

So he didn't hold back his chortle, spitting at her dress and walking away.

As he was about to lay in his bed, head pounding from the few drinks that he drank, and body aching from the thought of wasting another day cutting wood in the woods, he heard a soft voice calling for his name. Then through the window he saw a woman he hadn't seen before, covered in such ethereal beauty, Sanghyuk thought he had gone mad.

But the woman called for his name once more and Sanghyuk, ever the curious boy, followed the woman.

It wasn't Sanghyuk's first foray into the forest at this time of the night, and he had not thought it strange to follow a woman at all! To see such beauty, Sanghyuk wondered how he missed someone as beautiful as her?

And he didn't find it strange that they were getting deeper into the darkness, the woods devoid of any sound and life, nor did he found it strange to wade through the thicket and through the webs hanging from the branches.

But as he passed through the clearing, he found that he had lost sight of the woman and now he was all alone in the darkness. Fear filled him, heart in his throat and chills gathered in his spine.

There, in the darkness, he saw glaring red eyes staring at him—but they were too many. Much _too_ many to be human's.

Sanghyuk's screams went unheard that night.

* * *

There was a strange mood over the two women, was what Hyejin first noticed when she and Wheein came out the tent. It was the way they seemed to be avoiding each other despite passing each other and handing things to each other as they packed up—which was mind-bogglingly ridiculous as Hyejin observed.

Still, she gave them a wide berth and kept her questions to herself as she went and got some new bandages for Wheein. Her wound had already stopped bleeding and looked so much better than it did yesterday. At this rate, the wound would be healed in just a few days. Was this that werewolf healing Yongsun has been telling her about?

"You don't happen to have other clothes than your robes, right?" Yongsun asked as Hyejin helped Wheein—who was still acting like some wild animal—back to her shirt, having removed it as she changed Wheein's bandages. "We'll be attracting some questions we don't really want answering, if you know what I mean."

"Right," Hyejin grunted, pushing Wheein away, who was very much fixated in trying to sniff her for some strange reason. She placed her friend's well-worn leather flat cap over her blonde locks, tugging it low over her eyes and tucking any loose strands underneath it.  "I do have some, let me just change into them."

It was a strange affair of having to change clothes in the woods and in the middle of nowhere, being so used in the safety of the monastery walls. Hyejin knew there were no eyes on her (as she had also made sure there weren't, checking under every bush and behind every tree), and yet she could feel this crawling feeling over her skin as if someone was observing her. She brushed off the thought, focusing on changing as quickly as possible. It was a simple maroon dress, with a plain black waistcoat, the skirt barely brushing her ankles and its collar hanging a little low on her chest. It felt a bit strange not wearing her robes, but it felt freeing at the same time.

She walked back to the sight Yongsun staring at her with wide eyes. The bounty hunter looked at her up and down, and Hyejin saw the distinct dusting of pink on her cheeks. "Nice dress," Yongsun said after a while of staring, coughing into her hand.

Hyejin smiled. "Thank you."

It felt odd to receive a compliment, having only heard harsh remarks from the High Priestess and from her instructors back at the monastery. Come to think of it, Wheein had been the only source of strength for her. Her best friend—despite facing all sorts of trouble from her home and the _Head Priest_ (Hyejin could not hold back from wincing)—had acted as her rock, always there to support her, sharing their thoughts and dreams underneath starry nights in the highest point of the monastery.

Hyejin sighed, it wasn't a lie when she thought how much she missed her friend. Wheein had changed so much in just a span of a month, Hyejin didn't know what to think—and now Wheein had yet to speak beyond the growls and snarls and Hyejin's name.

There was also something new in Wheein's movements, sinuous in the way she tilts her head to the side, how she holds herself, how her movements seemed careful and deliberate, and how those eyes observed everything around her so critically, like a careful predator searching for its prey. It was frustrating how Wheein just felt like a stranger to her right now. She had tried speaking to her last night, and she could've sworn Wheein had spoken to her the moment she woke up yesterday, but the familiar presence of her friend seemed to be swallowed by this whole different persona that still acts very much like a wolf (or one that seemed strangely attached to Hyejin).

As such, she tried voicing her worries to Yongsun, albeit a good three feet away as Wheein was acting like some territorial dog, growling every time Yongsun tried to get close.

"Erm, I don't really know why to be quite honest." Yongsun scratched at the back of her head, looking apologetic. "I haven't interacted with a werewolf beyond having to kill… a few of them…" she trailed off, her eyes briefly looking over to Byulyi. Hyejin followed her gaze. There was a blank look on the blonde's face, but the slight twitching of her brow told Hyejin of her annoyance.

"It's her wolf," she finally said, arms crossed and tone bored. The way she said "wolf" though made Hyejin think it was something completely different from Wheein.

"What do you mean?" she asked warily.

Byulyi shrugged. "It's what they call it," she said as if that explained everything. 

Who are 'they'? What is this 'wolf'? 

Hyejin rubbed at her brow, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

"It's completely normal after the first turning, your friend should be back to waxing poetic in just a few days." Byulyi waved a disinterested hand over Wheein, to which the werewolf growled at. Hyejin felt too exhausted to try and reprimand her friend. "She should be able to control it after the next turnings. _That._ Or she loses her humanity entirely and all that's left is some wild drooling animal—whichever happens first."

"That won't happen." Hyejin felt proud that her voice didn't shake, wishing so hard she could make the annoying woman burst into flames with just her glare (she'll make sure to ask Yongsun if there's such a spell).

"We'll see." There was something of a challenge in the older blonde's tone. Byulyi looked over to Yongsun. The bounty hunter looked like she was in deep thought, a hand over her chin, an analytical look in her eyes as she observed Wheein before turning to meet Byulyi's gaze.

Hyejin watched as they seemed to have this silent conversation with just their eyes; the bounty hunter quirking her lips in a line that Hyejin couldn't read, while Byulyi made a show of tipping an imaginary hat at her, before she walked back to the horses. Just like that, whatever dark mood they were having between them was gone, and Hyejin didn't have a single ounce of care right now to give it much thought.

It was when they were about to mount the horses that they realized the problem.

Hyejin didn't realize she already fell into a pattern, body already in motion and accepting Yongsun's hand to pull herself up and mount Jingjing, when she looked over at Wheein and saw her staring back at her. She blinked as a short realization clicked inside her head.

"Oh."

Yongsun looked over at Wheein, then back to her. "You don't happen to know how to ride horses, Hyejin?"

"I do." Hyejin sighed. "I'm sorry, I feel like I've just brought you a lot of problems for the last few days."

"It's alright," Yongsun said over Byulyi's snarky "You got that right", but Hyejin heard it just the same. "Jingjing's a sweetheart, you should be fine."

Yongsun dismounted, handing the reins to her. "Be a good girl now, Jingjing." She smoothed a hand over the mare's mane, kissing the mare on its cheek. She gave the troubled priestess an encouraging smile and a thumbs up, before she was walking over towards Byulyi and demanding for her to make space for the bounty hunter. Byulyi followed, but not without making a fuss about it of course.

(Hyejin briefly wondered about the older women's strange relationship. It's either they're functioning as a single unit, or they're fighting like cats and dogs, and Hyejin was feeling quite dizzy at this point.)

Hyejin pushed her thoughts to the side and called for Wheein. It seemed that the Wolf—she decided to refer Wheein's wolf persona as _'The Wolf'_ to make it easier distinguishing between her best friend and this new addition to her friend's psyche—still knew how to mount a horse and Hyejin was glad she didn't have to struggle in making the Wolf to follow her.

"Hey girl." Hyejin patted the mare's neck, the horse huffing and shifting under her touch. 

The ride to Geumsu was completely uneventful (ignoring the moments Hyejin had to swat away the sniffing behind her ear), but Hyejin did took the time to observe her surroundings. She and Wheein had been spending the last few weeks looking over their shoulders, and barely scraping off from the few rabbits that Wheein had been able to catch that Hyejin never found the time to appreciate the scenery.

There was something tranquil being in the forest like this and out of the stuffy confines of the monastery.

Before long, however, the trees gave way to the logging sites—stumps dotting both sides of the main road leading off to Geumsu. They passed a few caravans off to deliver logs, probably heading Naju, and they went without getting a few stares.

They must be quite an odd sight, Hyejin thought.

At the distance, Hyejin could finally see the village—it was a small village where everyone probably knew each other, and were related to each other in someway or another. But as they were approaching, Hyejin felt a prickling feeling crawling over her arms. In front of them, she could see Yongsun shuddering, no doubt feeling the same prickling sensation.

Hyejin found herself glancing around, but seeing nothing out of sorts. 

"Halt! Who goes there!"

Hyejin looked forward to see a village guard approaching them, a hand on the sword on his side. He didn't look particularly impressive, sporting a dirty beard, some old leathers acting poorly as his armour, and a huge pot belly poking underneath it.

"Just passing through," Byulyi answered for them, voice smooth and lacking the snark that Hyejin had always heard from her.

"You ladies and a lad all by yerselfs?" The guard looked incredulous, his eyes roving over them, and lingering a little too long on their supplies before settling back on Byulyi.

"Yep, just us."

"There are some good lodgings here, yes?" Yongsun piped from behind Byulyi, and Hyejin could just imagine her flashing her wide smile, it probably helped that her dimples were particularly eye catching.

"A–ahh," the man stuttered, obviously taken by Yongsun's charm. "Y–yes, but it's nothin' like those from the cities, you see. It's just yer old humble village inn, nothin' too fancy. It's just down this road 'ere, you won't miss it."

"That's alright. Thank you, sir!"

"What a fancy lot." Hyejin heard the guard muttering as they passed him.

"I don't think he's seen fancy," Hyejin heard Byulyi whisper to Yongsun which triggered a small chuckle from the bounty hunter.

They didn't go without getting a few odd looks trained on them. Hyejin knew better than to look as she could see at the corner of her eyes how some of the villagers were leaning their heads together in heated whispers. Wheein seemed to be getting agitated as well, a low guttural sound coming deep from her chest. Hyejin took her friend's hand in hopes of calming the wolf, which seemed to have worked as the wolf became fixated at the sudden contact, flexing and curling her fingers within Hyejin's hold.

(Really, there must be something to this odd fixation Wheein's wolf had on her.)

As they approached the village's center, there was a tall image of the Holy Matron and at its feet were multiple lit incense and offerings of food and drinks. The village was probably too small to have their own chapel. The Matron's image should have brought Hyejin comfort, but she couldn't shake a feeling of wrongness at the sight of it. There was something about the village's aura that was rubbing her the wrong way—something sinister seemed to be clinging at everything but she just couldn't put a finger on why it seemed that way.

Soon they were approaching the village inn. It looked ancient and Hyejin wondered how something as old as it looked was still standing. Hyejin could see cobwebs hanging everywhere, and dust had gathered by the windows that one could barely even peer inside the building. An old sign above the door creaked, not without its own dust and webs. 'The Yellow Piss' it said and Hyejin couldn't think of a better name for the dilapidated place. And as Hyejin took a whiff, it definitely smelled as its namesake.

"Looks homey," Byulyi deadpanned, voice sounding nasally as she pinched her nose.

"You look right in it," Yongsun quipped and got an elbow in reply, making her yelp.

There were no visible stables but there was a hitching rail right by the entrance. Hyejin doubted it was a good idea to leave the horses out there but the older pair seemed to be fine with it, both of them had already dismounted with Byulyi hitching the huge cream colored gelding on the post. 

Hyejin gave Wheein a nudge but she didn't seem to understand what she meant. Instead, her bright amber eyes were staring intensely somewhere above the priestess' head. Hyejin followed her gaze and saw her staring at one of the second floor windows. She thought she saw something move but as she stared a bit more, she saw nothing else. She thought it might just be one of the inn's patrons and thought nothing of it.

"Hyejinah, need help getting down?" Yongsun called, walking over, or she was about to until Wheein whipped her head towards her with a growl. "Or not?" Yongsun stopped, arms raised and eyes wide. Jingjing pawed at the ground, neighing softly and shifting in place as she seemed to have detected the sudden aggression towards her owner. 

"Wheeinah!" Hyejin flicked the wolf on her nose and Wheein _honest to gods_ whimpered like a kicked pup and Hyejin felt guilty for it. But then she'd still be growling at Yongsun which was unacceptable too. Hyejin bit back a sigh, instead rubbing a hand over Wheein's cheek. "I'm sorry, but you have to stop growling at Yongsun."

Wheein showed no signs of understanding her with the way she tilted her head to the side. Hyejin could practically imagine dog ears on top her friend's head with how doggish the movement looked. Hyejin found herself internally screaming with how bizarre this situation was.

Shaking her head, Hyejin moved to dismount the horse. As careful as she could as to not raise her dress, Hyejin swung her leg on one side and dropped off the horse. The wolf's eyes widened, looking panicked as she scrambled off the horse to follow her, and dropping unceremoniously to the ground in her haste. Hyejin could hear Byulyi snickering somewhere behind her.

Hyejin helped the blonde up, dusting off the dirt on her shirt and trousers.

"Byulyi, are you sure this is normal?" Hyejin heard Yongsun whisper.

"Yes, I think. Never seen a werewolf getting this attached on someone though."

Said werewolf was now staring intensely at Hyejin.

 _"What do you mean 'you think'?"_ Yongsun asked heatedly under her breath.

Hyejin sighed, straightening Wheein's cap and tucking back the hair that got loose and poking the wolf on the nose, making her cross her eyes as she stared at Hyejin's finger. Her patience was being held together by a thin thread at this point and she was on her way of just snapping at Byulyi and shook out every answer that she had about Wheein's condition, but out of respect of Yongsun's trust over the older blonde, Hyejin decided to hold her tongue.

"It's what I think, now shut up."

Hyejin turned to see Yongsun slapping Byulyi on the shoulder. That triggered a small argument between them. Hyejin watched their little back and forth for a short moment before she cleared her throat.

Yongsun cleared her own throat, face red at being caught. "Right, let's go then." Yongsun entered the inn, slapping the laughing Byulyi on the ass as she passed her.

Byulyi smirked, following after the bounty hunter and leaving Hyejin and Wheein out by the entrance.

For a moment, Hyejin wondered how there was so much tension between those two women—of the fighting and the teasing and the banters, it was like they couldn't stand each other, and yet they shared a connection between them that they didn't seem to be aware of.

 _They really need to deal with that,_ Hyejin thought, grabbing Wheein's hand and following after the older women.

* * *

The first thing Byulyi noticed when she entered was the smell.

'The Yellow Piss' looked just as beaten down in the inside as it was on the outside. It was midday and yet a group of men were already slumped over their table, rambunctiously laughing and drinking. Byulyi's nose scrunched up, the place smelled like a hot mix of piss, bile and sweat. 

She glanced behind her, seeing the priestess and the little werewolf following close behind—well, as close as the priestess could get while dragging around an unstable werewolf. 

It'd be so easy to beat down that wildness—to tame it. So much so that Byulyi could feel her fists itching at the thought.

But as fast as the thought came, she was shaking it away, feeling that low churning at the pit of her stomach. 

She really needed a drink right now.

Yongsun was already standing by the bar, asking for a room for them. Byulyi took that moment to look around.

There was something strange about the village that was setting her teeth on edge. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was closely observing them, and it was like an insistent itch that she couldn't scratch. It didn't help that the werewolf's presence was grinding on her nerves with the constant murderous intent coming off her in waves every time their eyes met—Byulyi didn't doubt that the werewolf would be on her the moment the priestess leaves her unattended.

That was one thing that was confusing her too—she wasn't lying when she said to Yongsun that she hasn't seen a werewolf getting attached to a person. She was surprised the priestess was still even alive after staying with the werewolf after her first turning. They were mostly mindless beasts, and as Byulyi knew quite well, could be good pets when trained well. She doubted Yongsun and Hyejin would appreciate her _old_ ways though.

Not that Byulyi liked it either, tasting that certain bitterness in her mouth.

She snapped out of her thoughts, feeling a prickling at the back of her neck and finding the group of drinking men leering at her.

"Hullo there, luv!" one shouted over at her. "Ain't she a pretty bird? Come drink with us!"

Byulyi could feel her brow twitching, and her teeth were gritting against each other so hard, she could hear the grinding in her ears.

"We usually don't get pretty ladies 'round here. I'm sure ye saw the hags outside!" The men burst into a loud round of laughter, drunkenly slapping each other in the backs. "Come now, luv! We don't bite!"

Byulyi whipped her head away, keeping her face blank and hiding her clenched fists in her trousers pockets. She could still hear them calling and hollering for her attention, she really wasn't in the mood to trash a bunch of drunken men this early in the day—and the inevitable nagging she would get from Yongsun.

Speaking of the bounty hunter, she saw Yongsun walking towards her, a brow raised as she glanced over the group of men then back at her.

"So?" Byulyi didn't mean to make her voice sound that gruff, but she was feeling a little sensitive today—well, for the last few days to be exact.

But Yongsun was shaking her head, and was pulling her to the side and away from the other occupants inside the inn.

They were huddling together around a rotted down table—Byulyi was surprised to find the rotting stool hadn't broke down under the weight of wood cutters that frequent the inn. 

"The barkeep was a little… hostile." Byulyi glanced over the bar, finding the said man's beady eyes watching them closely. He wasn't all that threatening really, just short and stocky and as hairy as a bear. 

"He's nothing," Byulyi said, resting her chin on her hand, an elbow on the table. 

"Okay…" Yongsun's eyes darted around, a furrow on her brow. "There's something really wrong here though."

"You feel it too?" The priestess asked softly. Byulyi found it a little distracting with how intimate the priestess was with the wolf, her arms wrapped around the other girl. Then again, it was probably to keep the wolf from mauling her and Yongsun. 

"Yes." Yongsun rubbed at her brow. "We should probably ask around, Byulyi."

"I thought you'd never ask."

"Can I help?"

They looked over the priestess, looking at them with hopeful eyes.

"Erm." Yongsun scratched the back of her head, looking over at Byulyi, her eyes screaming for help.

"You could help by keeping snappy here from biting anyone," Byulyi said dryly, waving a finger over the werewolf, and proving her point as the wolf snarled at her.

She watched as the priestess mouth opened and closed, an argument dying in her lips before she deflated against her seat, arms clutching tighter around the other girl. "Alright, fine."

Byulyi raised a brow, she really expected the girl was about to explode on her.

"We should go." Yongsun turned towards the girl, handing her a key. "I got us a room upstairs. He said it's the third room on the left, and a crow's sign on the door."

"Okay."

"And here." Yongsun dropped a small pouch of money on the table. "Get yourselves something to eat and drink."

"Thank you." The priestess bowed her head, a genuine smile on her face. Byulyi caught the hint of a blush on Yongsun's cheeks and didn't hold back from rolling her eyes.

Byulyi stood, cutting off whatever Yongsun was about to say. They really need to get a move on and Byulyi itched to punch something right now.

Byulyi didn't wait for her partner and exited the smelly watering hole. _Or more like pissing hole,_ she thought with a snort. She made her way to their horses; they were shifting uneasily in their posts, softly neighing and pawing on the ground. She ran a soothing hand over Jingjing's snout then over Daebakie's. The gelding was surprisingly tame and Byulyi was only glad that she didn't have to do much breaking in on the horse—that, and he didn't seem to be afraid of her, and had been fine on carrying around a certain tiny werewolf. However, it was obvious that something in this village unsettled both of them too.

"They're staring at us," Byulyi said to Yongsun, turning around to face her partner. Yongsun jumped, a surprised look on her face before trying and failing on keeping her face blank. "And did you really just try to sneak up on me?"

"No." But the red on her round cheeks told Byulyi otherwise, holding back from telling the bounty hunter about this, and instead settling on an amused smirk. "And yes, it's not that hard to notice all the stares we're getting."

The people weren't even trying to be subtle, just outright staring at them with hostile gazes.

"This is going to be hard," Yongsun commented, passing a hand over her face. "They're already suspicious of us."

"Ahh, it's so hard to be this devilishly good-looking."

Yongsun faked gagging, making her laugh.

 

Yongsun had always been best when it came to investigating mysteries. Byulyi? Well, Byulyi was just the one who tracks the beasts for her, and sometimes kill them for her too.

But before Byulyi started to follow around the bounty hunter, Yongsun had proven herself to be quite an adversary, beholding arts that only a magister could wield. She almost always held an edge against monsters, supernatural beings, and magical users alike—may it be alchemy, conjuration, enhancements, or elemental magicke.

Her magicke, however wasn't needed at the moment, and instead, they needed something a bit more delicate—and that's turning up their charming selves on the townsfolk.

Only people were quick to slam their doors on their faces before either of them could get a word out—and now, the fact that they were going around the village trying to ask questions seemed to have spread like wildfire and everywhere they looked were devoid of any living being that could swear on the Holy Matron's name.

"Great, wonderful, beautiful, perfect—"

"I know, I know, you don't need to list all my traits."

Yongsun outright growled at her.

"Easy now, oh great Dragon of the Wildes."

Yongsun let out a strangled scream.

Byulyi really wanted to laugh, but she doubted the frustrated bounty hunter would find anything humorous about their current situation. 

"Okay, deep breaths," Byulyi said. Yongsun glared at her, before relenting and taking a good deep breath through her nose then exhaling. 

"This is frustrating," said Yongsun after a while.

"Well, one thing's for sure, something strange is going on here." Byulyi placed her hands in her pockets, idly glancing around before her eyes settled on the Matron's visage at the village's center. A lone spider crawled its way across the statue's face. Byulyi shuddered before looking away.

"Yes." Yongsun chewed on her lip, a vacant look on her face—Byulyi knew the woman long enough to know that was Yongsun's thinking face. "But there's one thing I've been noticing seen we got here." Yongsun turned to stare at the Matron, frowning.

"What—" Byulyi paused, tilting her head to the side as she felt the presence of a huge group approaching them.

"Greetings!"

The pair turned around to see a group of burly men making their way towards them. Byulyi tensed up, noticing the weapons they were carrying in their arms. An old man stepped out of the group, wearing silken clothes that relayed his high status. He was probably the village head.

"We don't get much visitors here in Geumsu," the man started, his hands going to his back. "Nothing like some lovely ladies such as yourselves! My! Aren't they a treat?"

The men behind him made agreeing noises, their gazes getting leery that Byulyi itched on scratching their eyes out. 

"Hello sir," Yongsun greeted, her polite tone in place. All business then, Byulyi noted. "Thank you for welcoming us."

The old man hummed, nodding his head. "Yes, well, we can't help but notice you going around the village, is there something the matter?"

"Yes," Yongsun paused, taking a quick glance at her before focusing back on the old man. "We've heard stories of men disappearing from here and—"

"Disappearing?" he interrupted, "I haven't heard anything about that! How 'bout you boys?"

"No!"

"Wha' this chit on about?"

"Ye lookin' for a husband, girly?"

There was a chorus of laughter at that.

"Now, now," the old man chuckled, looking at them like they were a bunch of children. "But you see, we've been hearing stories of witches, and we can't help but worry about a group of ladies going around on their own! You don't happen to have heard anything about them, hmm?"

At the word "witches", Byulyi scowled, ready to pummel the geezer's ugly mug but Yongsun hand on her shoulder had her backing down. 

"Oh no, not at all," Yongsun answered, a stiff smile on her face.

"I see. But it's getting dark now, ladies. I think it is best that you take your rest." The man tilted his head to the side, a condescending smile on his face. "We don't want you coming across those witches after all!"

"No, of course not." Yongsun bowed. "Thank you for telling us."

"But of course!" The man made a gesture towards the inn. Yongsun shot him one last smile before pulling Byulyi towards the old building.

"Be careful now, ladies!" The man called out to them once more, "We don't want you getting into trouble."

It didn't take someone to be a scholar to hear the threat underneath the man's tone. 

There were no witches, and if Byulyi's hunch was right, the village head just didn't want them poking their noses around here.

One thing's for sure, this definitely raised their suspicions.

"That went quite well," Byulyi said like they weren't about to start a whole fucking witch hunt on them for going around town.

Yongsun rolled her eyes.

* * *

"He an idiot or somethin'?"

Hyejin gritted her teeth, saying no for the umpteenth time. 

The barkeep scratched at his beard, leaning down to try and peer at Wheein's face hidden beneath her cap.

"He doesn't like to talk much." Hyejin didn't feel the need to correct the man and instead going with his assumption. It'll probably raise questions why a girl like Wheein was wearing men's clothes and the last thing Hyejin wanted right now was to prolong this inane exchange.

Right after Yongsun and Byulyi left, Hyejin went and ordered some food for her and Wheein. It wasn't a feast fit for a king but it was definitely better than those salted beef jerky that she had been eating for three days straight. Don't get her wrong, she was very grateful for Yongsun and Byulyi, but she had been craving for a change after eating the stiff piece of beef on her second day.

When the food came, so did the barkeep. He somehow decided he was too bored from manning the bar and had taken post on their table and had been striking up conversation since then.

"I just called him an idiot, I hear him saying nothing!"

Hyejin had half a mind to just sic Wheein on him. Speaking of Wheein—or the Wolf—she seemed to notice Hyejin getting annoyed at the man's presence, her chest starting to vibrate of an incoming growl. Hyejin squeezed her tighter, cutting off the air from her chest and the growl before it could even come.

"He's mute," Hyejin said, hoping and praying inside her head for the barkeep to finally leave.

He laughed, slapping a hand on the table and making Hyejin jump and Wheein snarl (and he thankfully did not hear the latter). "Why didn't ye just say so? I thought he was an idiot!"

Hyejin laughed with him, inwardly cringing. The barkeep however was still interested in staying. "Yer pretty friend—"

"Yongsun," Hyejin offered, remembering that Yongsun went to talk to him.

"Yeah, her. She's asking some dangerous questions, y'know?" he continued, making a quick glance around the inn before leaning close to whisper. "Those who started asking went missin'."

Hyejin straightened at that, realizing that the man was now offering information about Yongsun and Byulyi's investigation.

"Missing? How?"

The barkeep rubbed a hand on the back of his neck, lowering his eyes as he whispered as loud as he could. "It started with Sangjun's kid, Sanghyuk. He was a good boy, he was. But he liked asking questions like yer friend," he shook his head, lips in a straight line. "Now he's gone, and the next ones who started askin' all followed."

"But only men had been disappearing, right?"

The barkeep crossed his thick arms, jerking his chin towards Wheein. "Yer friend might not be the one asking questions, but it'd be best ye keep yer mouth shut."

Hyejin couldn't say she was all too glad to hear that, but she sighed in relief when the barkeep finally left their table. Hyejin turned to stare at Wheein, bright ambers meeting her dark browns.

"I'm sure whatever that's been taking those men would know you're a girl, right?"

The werewolf blinked.

"Right," Hyejin repeated quietly to herself, somehow feeling a certain dread within her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the chapter is a little long so I had to cut it into two parts.
> 
> To all that commented and kudos'd, thank you!
> 
> If you have questions or you need some clarifications, please don't hesitate to ask!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyejin finds some clues within the inn and encounters a strange woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more world building and lore in dialogue. I hate it ughᅲᅲ
> 
> Also, lotsa action!
> 
> Please excuse the mistakes, I breezed through proofreading and I'll probably regret uploading it now instead of later

Hyejin shuddered, feeling eyes on her as she took her and Wheein's bag from Jingjing's back. She briefly wondered if she should bring up Yongsun's stuff too but the tell-tale prickling of a hex dissuaded her from trying to touch the bounty hunter's bag. She turned back towards the inn's entrance to see Wheein shifting agitatedly in place, bright amber eyes darting around and a soft grating sound steadily rolling from her throat.

Hyejin couldn't shake the unease that settled on her too, briefly wondering how Yongsun's investigation was going. As loathe she was to admit it, Hyejin very much preferred the woods over this tiny logging village. Honestly, she couldn't wait to leave this place.

As she went to enter the establishment, she saw the way Wheein seemed to hesitate, her sharp teeth bared and pupils dilated as she snapped her head around at everything and nothing. The strange behaviour troubled Hyejin, taking the wolf's hand in hers in hopes of calming her. It worked, in a way, but Hyejin could still see the tense line on her shoulders.

They should probably get into their room, and as Hyejin refused to believe Wheein would attack anyone unprovoked, the wolf was a bit more unpredictable than the friend she used to know.

Hyejin bee-lined her way towards the second floor, her grip tight on Wheein's hand as she pulled her. She kept her eyes forward and ignored the jeering from the group of men still drinking at one side of the tavern. They'd probably drink the whole place dry at this point.

The second floor, thankfully, was a bit more peaceful and the noise from the first floor was nothing more than a distant buzzing. Hyejin tried to recall Yongsun's direction, something about their room being at the left side and a crow on the door. As she walked down the hall, she realized she couldn't hear a thing up here and somehow that sent shivers down her spine despite wanting to get away from the noise in the first place.

It was the third door that she finally saw the crow, an innocuous symbol carved onto the door. She briefly juggled between the bags and Wheein's hand, electing to drop their bags instead to pull out the key from the pocket subtlety sewn on her dress. The door opened with an ominous click, the old wooden thing creaking open to a dusty bedroom. 

An old wardrobe sat on one side, a simple vanity sitting right next to it. A huge crack split the mirror, reflecting back a murky image. Across the furniture were two beds, too small to even fit two grown women. Hyejin entered the room, sitting Wheein on one of the beds (closest to the window) and placing their bags right next to her. She took that moment to look around a bit more.

Along with the layer of dust that caked everything, every corner was filled with cobwebs. Hyejin shuddered as she saw a few large house spiders crawling along the walls. She checked the wardrobe only to immediately snap it shut as the spiders had also taken shelter inside.

She walked towards the window, looking out and trying to make out the blurry images outside. At the distance, she could see a clear view of the Matron's image sitting at the village's center. She looked down to see the horses right below the room. Then a chill went up her spine as she realized she was looking out the very same window Wheein had been looking at earlier.

She had been ignoring it since stepping inside the inn, but it was useless to brush it off at this point. She looked towards Wheein, the need to tell someone what she felt prodding her. She opened her mouth before snapping them shut. It was useless, she doubted Wheein even understood her with her current condition.

Magicke was quite the fickle thing. It was wilde and sometimes, presented an ancient sentience Hyejin could ever hope to understand. Every human— no, every living creature bears magicke, others just happened to be touched by the veil, strengthening their magicke to the point they could manifest it into different elements. Magicke is the soul's very essence, hence there are others of the darke—warlocks, witches, and vampires even—who strengthened their innate magicke by siphoning the souls from others. 

There was no telling how one gets touched by the veil, and as far as Hyejin knew, it was all up to fate, and not everyone gets to wield the magicks like how Hyejin could.

As such, those sensitive to the veil—like Hyejin and Yongsun—could easily feel the presence of magicke, may it be a spell, a hex, a curse, or enchantment (lest it was hidden underneath a ward). They were especially sensitive to others touched by the veil.

So Hyejin knew, but she refused to believe so, that the air of the village was tainted by magicke—a magicke so dark, it was like a dark smoke that polluted the air. Now standing in this room, it was suffocating.

She let out a shuddering breath, letting her magicke slither from her core to smooth over her ruffled state and feeling a comfort from its lightness. Her mind briefly went back to Yongsun's magicke, feeling a strange need to feel the heady light that came from the other woman once more. She felt around her core, like a hand blindly reaching for something before she found that tether, a glowing thread amongst a field of flowers.

She gave it a tug.

Hyejin gasped, nearly collapsing as she felt an answering tug, an echo of something— _pleasure,_ her mind supplied—spreading from her core to the tips of her fingers. She felt electrified all of a sudden, and the stifling aura of the room was washed away.

Her eyes zeroed in on the windowsill.

It was unnoticeable at first glance, something you wouldn't even think was there in the first place. But to her inner eye, cleansed as it was now, it was a gleaming beacon.

There at the base of the windowsill was a rune carved onto it.

She walked over it, running a finger over the embedded lines. It looked quite familiar, definitely something she had seen before. Her mind whirled, sifting through the day her old Maestro briefly mentioned them, explaining its basics before going off how priestesses like her weren't privileged to learn something as complex as that. In her silent anger, Hyejin had sneaked into the library at the dead of the night, a lamp on one side, and Wheein watching over her with bleary eyes on the other side as she drank everything she could about runes and their uses. 

"A protection rune," she said to herself, out of the need to finally use her voice. She looked over Wheein, excitement in her chest. "It's—" She paused, brows furrowing. "Right, I can't talk to you."

The wolf yawned, revealing her longer than usual canines.

Hyejin shook her head, turning her attention back on the rune. It was definitely a protection rune, but it was so crudely made, like the one who made it had an idea of what it was and what it does but had no understanding over it. It was messy but Hyejin could feel the slight humming of the magicke imbued on it. Had it been made correctly, Hyejin wouldn't have even noticed it—perhaps Yongsun would have, she had no idea how extensive Yongsun's knowledge was over magicke. _'Well, she is trained by an ex-magister,'_ so her knowledge was probably quite extensive.

She let her magicke run over it, only to quickly pull back as a vile bitter taste filled her mouth.

"W–what is this..?"

She had never felt something so sinister, and her skin crawled like a thousand spiders were all over her. Behind her, she could hear the bed shifting, followed by low growling.

Turning around, she saw Wheein facing the door, body bracing as if to pounce on prey. Hyejin's eyes darted towards the door, her heart racing inside her chest as she saw a shadow shifting between the gap. As it lingered, Wheein's growling turned louder, almost sounding like the wolf Hyejin had seen her as before.

The door jiggled and Hyejin thanked the Matron that she remembered to lock the door. It tried the door a few more times before it finally left.

Hyejin let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, her body sagging against the windowsill. The wolf's growling tapered off, but kept all her attention towards the door.

"What in seven hells was that?" Hyejin asked, almost imagining Wheein's own frightened voice saying _"the hells if I know? Let's get the fuck out of here!",_ but it was too much to hope for.

Hyejin sat next to Wheein, burying her face on her friend's neck and breathing in her scent—the smell of the forest and spring and something wild in between. She wished for Wheein to return the hug, but the wolf was resolute on keeping its guard on the door. 

"It's gone now, Wheeinah," she told the wolf, but as expected, got nothing in reply. She sighed, her heart still beating wildly in her chest. "How can Yongsun do this? This is so scary. I'm so scared, Wheein. I—"

 _I wish you were here,_ was left unspoken.

It wasn't something she would freely admit but it was a feeling that was simmering for so long inside her chest. Revealing all this for the moment, even if the recipient was oblivious to it all still somewhat brought a bit of comfort to Hyejin.

* * *

It was an hour later when Hyejin finally found the courage to walk out of their room—Wheein, of course, in tow.

Someone had carved in those runes and Hyejin was determined to get behind all this—her safety be damned (well, hopefully not). 

The inn was larger than it looked from the outside. Walking around the second floor, she was surprised to find the very same runes carved over and over again, all in places one wouldn't think to look. Vile as the magicke might've felt (Hyejin couldn't help but shudder), they were still protection runes. Someone intend to protect this establishment, and Hyejin couldn't understand why.

Protection runes were used to ward off darke creatures, something like a werewolf or a vampire. But seeing how crudely it was made, and how Wheein was able to enter the inn, it wasn't working as it was intended. Perhaps if there's ill intent? Nonetheless, this would somewhat explain Wheein's agitation. Hyejin had brushed it off as the wolf being… well, _a wolf,_ but perhaps the runes added a bit of irritation to her, like a buzzing insect inside her head.

She briefly wondered if Byulyi was affected too. Her mind briefly went to the woman's actions when they entered the inn, before deciding the woman was probably just an asshole—protection runes or not.

Hyejin's little exploration didn't go unnoticed however.

As she and Wheein were about to turn back to the hall where their room was, an old woman stood in their way. 

The woman was probably a beauty in her youth, but the years of work and mortality had aged her. She would probably stand a head taller than Hyejin if her back hadn't become crooked. Dark eyes lay sunken in its sockets, but a bright manic light shone within them. The woman took a step towards them, making Hyejin back up and bump into a growling Wheein.

"Are you lost, dearie?" There was almost a musical note in the woman's voice, but her old age had created a husk in them, sounding almost like metal grating against metal in Hyejin's ears.

"N–no." There was something unnerving about the woman and Hyejin wanted nothing more but to return to their room—also briefly questioning her moment of insanity by trying to investigate more about the runes all by herself.

The woman hummed, walking towards them in an unnatural fluid motion.

Wheein snarled, nearly deafening one of Hyejin ears. The woman stopped in her tracks. It happened in a blink of an eye—at one moment Wheein was standing, and the next she was suddenly sprawled all over the floor, on all fours and a groan on her lips.

"Wheein!"

"How rude. Didn't your friend know this is a sanctuary?" the woman said, clicking her tongue.

Hyejin's head whipped between her friend and the woman. "Sanctuary? Wh— the runes..."

The woman chuckled, like the tinkling of bells and the grating of a rusted metal door.

"You made them." It was more of a statement than a question.

The woman nodded imperceptibly, a smile on her lips and revealing a hint of yellowing teeth. "A smart girl! I haven't seen one in a while." There was a hint of mocking in her praise.

Hyejin instinctively raised her hands, a barrier spell ready on the tips of her fingers. It made the woman hesitate, stopping a good distance away.

"So it is you," she said, dark eyes appraising her whole form. "You've touched what's mine."

"I wasn't aware you were its caster," Hyejin answered, keeping her voice even. Clearly, the woman was a witch and she didn't know how to deal with the situation as this was the first time the priestess ever met one. The woman looked a bit unstable too and Hyejin felt fear trickling down her spine.

The woman's eyes went to the snarling Wheein on the ground, bright amber eyes narrowed dangerously at her, but there was a grimace on her friend's face—no doubt it was the protective magickes of the runes pressing down on her.

"I haven't seen a wolf like yours in years," she said, her eyes turning vacant as if reminiscing about an old memory, a fond one if the smile on her face told anything. "But I'm surprised your friend's wolf is still too close to the surface."

"You— what?"

"Consumed by regret perhaps? Unwilling to face the mistakes he made that he hides behind his wolf."

Hyejin's eyes darted down towards Wheein, mind whirling at the woman's words. _Regrets?_

"Ah, but who I am to guess, hmm?" The woman laughed, as if finding something humorous about the situation.

"You know nothing." Hyejin nearly slapped a hand over her mouth, her pride rearing its head before she could bring much thought to her words.

"Nothing?" The woman spat, looking quite enraged and Hyejin inwardly cursed her foot-in-mouth moment. "Oh no, child. I know _everything._ Those _two fools_ looking around as we speak? They know nothing! Like that boy! That stupid boy! He never listened to me and now look at what happened!" The woman rambled on, looking crazed at every word that left her mouth. "They thought they could stop it? Oh no, nothing will stop it!"

Hyejin took a step back, one hand over Wheein's curled body and one in front of her. The woman spoke of a boy and Hyejin's mind quickly went back to the barkeep's warning, of a boy named Sanghyuk. And this "it", could it be the monster Yongsun was hunting? She chewed briefly on her lip, sending a quick prayer to the Matron that this won't anger the woman even further before she asked, "What happened?" 

The woman reeled back, blinking before cackling, her body doubling over as mirth wracked her whole body. "You wish to know what happened? The boy is dead! Like all the other men who think they're greater than _us!"_

"Us?" Hyejin grimaced.

"You!" She whipped a finger forward, pointing straight at Hyejin's chest—no, to her core where her magicke—her _soul_ resides. "You and I? We're one and the same, gifted by the Mistress's veil! He thought himself greater? Well, he thought wrong! And _it_ came for him, at the dead of the night like a beautiful maiden. The Mistress had called for his soul, and _she_ took it!"

Hyejin couldn't understand the woman's ramblings any longer, and she could feel the pricklings of an alien force crawling across her skin. She gritted her teeth, gathering her own magicke and pushing against the suffocating press of the witch's soul. The woman pressed even harder, a manic look in her eyes. At the ground, Wheein made a pained whimper, body shivering at the witch's suppressive presence.

Hyejin's heart raced within her chest, feeling the sweat beading at her temples as she pushed against the onslaught. But it might as well be a child holding back a torrent of waves with a flimsy board. She could feel the scream at her throat, fearing for her life and Wheein's. In her panic, she tried reaching for that familiar tether once more, hoping for the reassuring presence of the bounty hunter.

A sharp cry reached her ears, her eyes darting downwards to see Wheein had collapsed against the floor.

Hyejin reached forward, grasping not at her connection with Yongsun but something else.

Something she had never felt before.

The very air cracked like glass breaking, and the witch screeched as she was pushed back by a powerful force coming from Hyejin. The smell of roses filled the air, a hint of something heady just beneath.

The woman stared at her, eyes wide with _fear._

(Hyejin ignored the way her magicke seemed to _purr_ at the sight of it.)

"Y–you!" She gasped, pointing a shaking finger at her and Hyejin could still feel the way her blood rushed in her ears. "N–nonono— it can't be! The _black rose_  has come for me? No!"

A powerful gust filled the hall, making Hyejin shield her eyes. When it finally died, the hall was empty and not a trace of the woman left behind.

Hyejin stood at that hall, eyes staring blankly into space before she dropped on her knees next to Wheein's unconscious form. She pulled Wheein up to her, laying half her body over her lap.

This was the sight Yongsun and Byulyi came to.

"Hyejin?!"

Hyejin looked over her shoulder. "Unnie…"

Yongsun kneeled next to her, worry in her eyes as she looked between her and Wheein. She took one look on her face before she was pulling her (and Wheein) into a tight hug.

"Hey, it's okay…" Yongsun whispered to her ear, the scent of something fresh, something that reminded her of mornings surrounding her.

Hyejin pressed her face against Yongsun neck, not holding back the sobs from leaving her lips.

* * *

Byulyi crossed her arms, feeling quite restless as she paced around the small room. Sitting at the bed was the priestess and her werewolf while Yongsun sat cross-legged across them on the other bed. The wolf had already gained back her consciousness, her earlier wildness muted as she pressed a face on the priestess neck, her whole body curled around the other girl. Byulyi could also hear the soft rumbling coming from her, an attempt to calm the distraught priestess. 

It took awhile for the priestess to calm down, explaining in stuttered sentences her stupidity—going around the inn after finding a rune, encountering a witch _(a fucking witch!)_ , and nearly getting splattered all over the inn's walls. Byulyi pressed a hand on her face, biting back the curses she wanted to hurl towards the priestess. She also doubted Yongsun would appreciate hearing her opinion about the girl's actions.

"You were brave Hyejin, taking action like that," Yongsun said, and Byulyi chewed on her inner cheek as she inwardly screamed inside her head how _no, that wasn't brave at all, but fucking stupid!_ The other three however remained oblivious to her inner thoughts as Yongsun continued, "But you shouldn't have done it on your own."

"I know, I'm sorry," the priestess mumbled, eyes down.

Byulyi could see Yongsun holding back a sigh. "Well I'm just glad the both of you are alright," she said, dropping her legs to the side, standing and walking over the windowsill where the priestess said she found the rune. She looked out the window. "I see, so _that_ place is the witch's focal."

"Focal—" Byulyi frowned as she glared at Yongsun's back. "You didn't tell me anything about a focal." _Or that there was a witch._ Her mind went back how they went around town, and finding nothing that stood out to her except for the villagers' odd hostility towards them.

Yongsun turned towards her, a surprised look in her eyes. "You didn't notice?"

Byulyi could feel her eye twitching.

Yongsun crossed her own arms, the smirk on her face a little too smug for Byulyi's taste. "Went right under your nose, huh?"

"Ha–ha," Byulyi deadpanned, "Yes, I didn't notice. I thought those men were just threatening us. I didn't think there was an actual witch." Admitting that felt like pulling teeth.

Byulyi hated missing stuff like that, priding herself as a skilled hunter especially when it comes to hunting creatures, but anything relating to witches, warlocks and the mystiques always tend to fly over her head—which Yongsun just liked to rub in on her face (and Byulyi had to admit, she was guilty of doing this as well). 

"It's not just here, but I found a dozen others around town," Yongsun said, "Protection runes, Mind runes, and Magicke suppression. Most of them are defunct though, and they no longer function as they should."

"What does that mean?" the priestess asked, sitting up and staring at Yongsun.

"As much as I hate agreeing with the Grand Church and its ideals, they have a point about fearing the darke and the Mistress Death's spawns," Yongsun explained, looking serious all of the sudden. "As you know, there are two sides to magicke—"

"Light and dark," the priestess said.

Yongsun nodded. "Yes. But magicke isn't just black and white." Yongsun paused, a hand over her chin. "I suppose you could say it's a spectrum—how there are pure holy magicke on one side and the darkest of rituals and spells on the other, and how the potency differs as you travel along the gradient. I would say elemental magicke is something in between.

A rune's alignment, on the other hand, depends mostly on its functions. Protection runes, as you know, are mostly imbued by light magicke. Looking at this one," Yongsun gestured over the rune. "I believed it used to be just like that."

The priestess shook her head, her chin brushing against the werewolf's head. "But I felt the rune and it's far from holy."

"Yes," Yongsun said simply, "Which is why Byulyi and Wheein are able to enter the village. They wouldn't have been able to even take a single step the moment they passed the barrier. The caster's intent holds much power over magicke however, especially on runes. Something must've happened to change the rune's properties."

Yongsun's hand hovered over the rune, glowing a bright white, and Byulyi felt the hairs on her arms standing on end as Yongsun summoned her magicke. White sparks crackled from her hand as the rune responded with its own black sparks. The sparks entangled together, a sharp smell—something akin to just before lightning strikes—filled the air, making Byulyi's nose scrunch. At the corner of her eye, she could see the werewolf raising her head, a growl in her throat.

Yongsun's hand glowed brighter, the white sparks engulfing the rune and Byulyi had to look away lest she burn her eyes on Yongsun's holy magicke. The rune buzzed as Yongsun's magicke swelled, growing louder and louder until it turned into a continuous shrill sound. At one corner of the room, Byulyi idly noticed the spiders crawling all over in a frenzy, slipping through the cracks and gaps within the room.

There was a flash and a loud crack, then the buzzing finally died. Byulyi blinked, having shut her eyes out of instinct before she looked over at Yongsun. She was clutching her wrist, flicking her hand as black sparks crawled off the tips of her fingers.

"W–what did you do?" The priestess gasped out, her arms over the werewolf who had buried her face on her chest.

"I dispeled it." Yongsun grimaced, wiping her hand over her coat like she touched something filthy. "It's been corrupted."

"Corrupted?"

Yongsun eyes met priestess. "There's no telling what happened, but I think I have an idea. This witch… how did her magicke felt?"

"Like that rune— It was dark," the priestess shuddered, arms going tight around the werewolf. "It was horrible."

Byulyi saw the question in Yongsun's eyes as she glanced towards her—also Yongsun's tell when something wasn't adding up. "I see," was what she said instead.

Byulyi clapped her hands. "Well, I guess we got a witch to hunt."

"And some beautiful maiden the witch probably summoned," Yongsun added. 

"Unnie." Yongsun's head whipped towards the priestess and Byulyi frowned as she saw the way her brown eyes seemed to soften at the girl. "I really am sorry."

"It's okay." Yongsun cracked a smile. "I'm just glad you're okay—"

"Alright," Byulyi said forcefully, a hand already on the door.

"Wait." 

The air split with cracking energy, bright blue lines cutting through the space and forming a sigil. As it formed, a wide dome spread from it, encompassing the whole room and sinking into the walls before fading into nothing, as if it was never there, but the slight humming in the air and the prickling on Byulyi's skin told her that it was still there.

Yongsun wiped a hand over the sweat beading over her brow. "There, the witch won't be able to enter this room. Well, at least for a while."

"You shouldn't strain yourself," Byulyi told her. The last thing they want for Yongsun was for her to be too exhausted to fight the witch, and Byulyi really hated dealing with crazy witches on her own the most (right next to Templars and warlocks, of course).

"I'm fine," Yongsun replied tersely. "We'll be back."

Byulyi noticed the werewolf staring over the priestess' shoulder and out the window just as she was about to close the door.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me there was a witch?"

"I was about to," Yongsun said, her tone petulant. "But then those men came."

Byulyi groaned, running a hand through her hair. "What else you didn't tell me?"

The sun had long since set and the streets were devoid of any villagers, and of the group of men that approached them earlier. As they now know— Well, as _Byulyi_ now know, it was probably because of the witch that kept the people from walking out of their houses at this time of the night.

"I felt Hyejin's magicke calling to me when we were asking around—"

"What?" Byulyi couldn't help but blurt out, spinning around to glare at the bounty hunter.

"It's not what you think!" Yongsun said quickly, but Byulyi mind was whirling at the sudden knowledge. "It's not like—"

"This oath thing really messed you up, huh?" Byulyi couldn't keep the bitter note out of her tone.

Yongsun shook her head, eyes wide. "It's not— I'm fine, alright?"

Byulyi huffed, increasing her pace towards the huge image sitting at the village center. She could hear Yongsun speeding up to match her longer strides.

"I'm totally fine!" Yongsun repeated and Byulyi bit back a sharp reply, keeping her face blank. "Byulyi, please."

Byulyi stopped, crossing her arms. Yongsun carefully stepped around to stand in front of her.

"What else is her magicke making you do?" 

Yongsun's face scrunched up, and Byulyi had to hold back the urge to stomp back to the over-glorified latrine that was somehow functioning as the village's inn.

"It's not—" Byulyi watched as Yongsun chewed on her lip, eyes on the ground before finally meeting her gaze. "It's not like _that._ It's not the same as _before,_ alright? She's not making me do anything, I swear it Byulyi."

Byulyi tapped her fingers on her arms, gritting her teeth before relenting, a sigh leaving her lips. "What happened?"

"I felt her magicke calling to me and I just answered, like a hand reaching out to me and I held it." Yongsun held a hand against her chest, a pensive look on her face. "Her magicke, it wasn't anything I ever felt before."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier then?" Byulyi asked quietly. 

"Because I didn't want you to worry or think it was like before."

"Okay." Byulyi sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "Okay, I trust you."

Byulyi didn't really trust the priestess—who would? Especially with the knowledge that Templars were hunting for them. She had always held her doubts over the priestess when she learned that she demanded for Yongsun to take an oath. But Byulyi trust Yongsun more than anyone and she believed the bounty hunter when she said it wasn't what she thought. She still didn't trust the priestess but she had to admit that the priestess hadn't exactly shown anything worrying, except for the fact that this oath somehow held a power over Yongsun.

Byulyi wasn't really comfortable with the intricacies of magicke or the power it held over others. She had seen magicke twist people, making them unrecognizable to how she had once knew them. It happened too many times to count and she had always feared of Yongsun falling into the same trap.

It nearly happened once, she refused to let it happen again.

Her worries, however had to be shelved for the moment and return her focus at the task at hand: checking the witch's focal.

"I knew this thing was creepy for a reason."

"Ah, so you did notice!"

"I didn't think it was a focal," Byulyi admitted, "or that there was a witch." Byulyi sent Yongsun a glare.

"I said I'm sorry!"

"Hmm, I believe someone owes me a drink!"

Yongsun groaned loudly. "Alright fine!"

Byulyi felt the tension leaving her shoulders, an easy grin on her face.

"So, she's using this to power all her runes?"

Standing this close the Matron's image, Byulyi could definitely feel the energy emanating from the tall statue. Not just that however, she could also feel the energy swirling within, like a funnel—no doubt suctioning off energy from the villagers bringing offerings to it. Runes needed a lot of magicke to power them up, and this one here definitely provided the magicke it needed.

"She's the village's Matron," Yongsun noted, "Acting like a goddess over the villagers."

"She probably has a huge ass ego."

"Probably not as big as yours," Yongsun quipped.

"Yah!" Byulyi scowled at her, before shrugging. "Yeah, that's probably right."

Yongsun giggled.

"So, what now?"

"I'd dispel it but it'd take days at most." Yongsun looked around, a frown on her face. "It doesn't help we still have no idea about this 'beautiful maiden' that's been taking the men, or where this witch is."

"We cut off the witch's head then?"

"Ideally, yes, that'd be faster," Yongsun said. Then she turned to look at Byulyi. "We gonna have to locate her first."

"That's easy," Byulyi said, an expectant look on her face. Yongsun merely blinked at her. "Right?"

"It would be, if the whole village wasn't saturated with her runes."

"Damn." Byulyi looked around, taking a whiff of the air and smelling a mix of scents. "I guess we're doing this the hard way then?"

"You're doing it the hard way," Yongsun told her, tapping a finger over her chest. Byulyi raised a questioning brow. "I'm gonna try and lure her out here," she explained as she gestured over the Matron.

Byulyi looked over the Matron, her mind taking a moment before it clicked in her head. She whirled back around on Yongsun, "You said it'd take days!"

Yongsun raised her arms defensively. "Yes, but it'd catch her attention, wouldn't it?"

"But—" Byulyi scowled, taking a moment to properly arrange her words that would convince Yongsun that this was a bad idea, but deep down she knew it was the best course of action they could take right now. It was useless for the both of them trying to look around when the witch could just easily hide her presence from them. On the other hand, while Yongsun may be able to lure the witch out, she'd be vulnerable to possible attacks from behind. "Then I'm staying right here since you'll just lure her out."

"You can't." Yongsun patted her on the shoulders. "Look, I know you're worried, but I'll be fine, alright? And besides, you'll be looking for that beautiful maiden or whatever it is that's luring the men."

_Ugh, I hate it when she's always right._

"I hate it when you're always right."

"Oh, you love it," Yongsun shot back, winking and Byulyi exaggeratedly made a disgusted sound.

Byulyi lingered for a while as Yongsun set up, before the bounty hunter finally had her fill of her presence and shooed her away. She stared at the translucent bird perched on her shoulder, just a little messenger for her should she need to call for Yongsun.

Byulyi didn't really know where to start, except maybe stalk around a few houses. She was a bit glad the village wasn't as large as Naju so going around the village was a little easier. 

While she believed her and Yongsun worked best together, it was faster to cover more ground on her own than when they were together. Now on her own, Byulyi didn't hold back, leaving behind a trail of dust as she darted from house to house, and block to block. She even found the old geezer's house (and just as she guessed, he really was the village's head). She was half tempted to snap his neck, but she resorted to breaking the locks on his doors instead. That should give him a fright, she thought with a snicker.

Standing on the roof of one of the houses, she could easily see the Matron's head poking over the roofs. It was probably just a few blocks over and if Byulyi wanted, she could leap on them and be back on the village center. Yongsun wouldn't probably appreciate her returning empty-handed though.

"If I'm a seductress creature thing, where would I be?" Byulyi asked out loud, her arms hanging over her knees as she squatted down on the roof. "Probably not lurking around here because everyone looks like that ugly ass leukro-motherfucker."

Just as she said that, the wind changed its course and blew over to her and bringing a particular familiar scent.

"No way." She stood, disbelief on her face. "No fucking way."

She leapt over the neighboring roof, taking a whiff of the air and still finding that scent.

"Matron's saggy tits—" 

There at the distance, she could see a familiar blonde head moving at a fast pace, and definitely heading away from where they last left her.

"That stupid werewolf," Byulyi growled, leaping from roof to roof as she followed the blonde. 

Byulyi had to jump back down to the ground as the wolf slipped into the forest—she was faster than Byulyi had thought, and she completely lost sight of her. Resorting to her sense of smell, Byulyi was glad werewolves had that distinct mutt smell that made tracking the blonde down an easy task.

Honestly, she had half a mind to just let the blonde on her own but something prodded her to follow the wolf. She also sent back Yongsun's bird—she definitely needed to know how the werewolf she had saved decided it was a good idea to leave them high and dry.

Byulyi cursed under her breath, weaving through the trees as she tried to catch up to the wolf. Byulyi had to hand it to her, she was a fast little bitch.

Just as she passed through the branches, she was met with a face-full of web, making her spit and wipe at the sticky substance on her face. 

"Great." She was definitely deep inside the forest now, and as she took another sniff, she was getting closer to the wolf—and to something else.

Guards raised, Byulyi was a little more careful passing through the trees, dodging low branches and trudging through the webs that thickly covered everything. The wolf's scent was stronger now and as she entered a clearing, she could see the little wolf standing just a few paces away, her back towards her.

A long continuous growl came from the wolf's tiny body, and as Byulyi looked over the blonde's shoulder, she immediately understood the reason for her aggression.

_"—won't let her kill me, so I will kill her little pet!"_

Her stance loose, hands on her pockets, Byulyi strode over to stand next to the werewolf.

"Sorry lady, this one here is no one's pet." Byulyi took a chance and placed an arm over the werewolf's shoulder (and thankfully did not get her arm ripped off). "And you're definitely no beautiful maiden."

Said 'beautiful maiden' was definitely a woman, but she was no maiden nor was she beautiful. What should have been just a pair of eyes, Byulyi could see eight glowing red eyes in its place. The woman was also wearing a white slip, perhaps to present the image of a maiden, but the cloth was ripped where eight long and hairy limbs had burst from her back.

"You halfling!" The woman shrieked, pointing a black claw towards Byulyi. "You dare mock me?"

Byulyi hummed, glancing down the werewolf's face to see her light amber eyes glaring straight at the woman. "Well, I think you messed up, didn't you notice this one here is a girl?"

Byulyi tensed up, a grin on her face as the woman screeched, eight black limbs moving in a blur as she launched herself towards them.

"Oh this should be fun, eh Wheepup?"

* * *

It seemed her accidental usage of magicke had exhausted her and as Yongsun and Byulyi had taken their leave, Hyejin immediately fell asleep.

She swore she saw strange images in her dream but something had woken her and her dream faded to the back of her mind. She spent a moment staring at the wooden ceiling, idly watching the swinging cobwebs before she realized that something was wrong. 

Her hand shot out to her other side, only to land on an empty space. Hyejin sat up, her head whirling around as her heart started to race.

"Wheein?!"

Hyejin scrambled off the bed, glancing around the room and finding no trace of the blonde. As she was about to run out of the room, she saw a light at the corner of her eyes. Turning around, Hyeiin moved towards the window to see the horses down below shifting in their reigns, their neighing just barely heard through the glass. But what really caught her attention was the familiar form of the bounty hunter standing before the Matron's image.

_'Yongsun!'_

Hyeiin immediately headed down, making sure to creep down the stairs as to not wake the barkeep who had fallen asleep on the bar. The drunken men had long since went back to their homes and Hyejin was glad that she didn't have to be subjected to their jeerings. 

The moment she stepped out of the inn, she could feel the tiny hairs on her neck stand on end. The air felt charged and Hyejin wondered how not even one of the villagers could feel the clashing of powerful magicks. As Hyejin got closer to the Matron, the more she felt the power emanating from it. Her skin crawling against the currents, Hyejin was in awe at the obvious power that was coming from the bounty hunter.

The ground around the Matron's image was surrounded by a runic circle, which Hyejin recognized as a complex ritual of dispelling runes and curses. Looking at Yongsun's back, she can't help but notice how Yongsun cut an impressive figure—the realization of how powerful Yongsun really was sinking in.

Impressed as she was, she nearly forgot the reason she came to the bounty hunter.

"Unnie!" Hyejin called out.

Yongsun jumped, her arms that she was swinging around as she summoned her magicke jerked to a stop. The glowing circle cracked like broken glass, the pieces floating and dissipating into nothingness.

"Hyejin?!" Yongsun whirled around, a surprised look on her face. "What— what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Yongsun had rounded on her and Hyejin couldn't help but shrink at the obvious confusion and worry on the older woman's face.

"It's Wheein," she said in a rush, "She's gone!"

"What? Are you sure?"

"I just woke up and I couldn't find her anywhere!"

Yongsun's mouth snapped shut as a conjured hawk swooped down in front of her. Hyejin could hear Byulyi's voice, speaking in a low voice as she said something about a werewolf, and following the 'little pup' into the forest, before the construct broke down into tiny glowing dust carried by the wind.

"I think I know where your friend went."

"Where?"

Instead of answering her, Yongsun conjured another summon, the same wolf that she had summoned before. It howled before taking off, heading towards the forest east of the village.

"Come on." Yongsun patted Hyejin at the back, before running off after the wolf. Hyejin yelped, picking up her skirts as she followed the bounty hunter as best as she could.

They went deep into the forest, the both of them summoning a basic light spell in their hands when it had gotten too dark to move through the thicket. Hyejin felt like they were walking for so long, passing through the branches and the webs that hang from the trees. She wondered if they'll ever find the way back to the village. Not for long however, Hyejin heard a shrill screech along with the familiar growling of certain werewolf.

"Is that— Wheein!" Hyejin ran past Yongsun, breaking through the trees and to the clearing only to see Wheein struggling against webs that held her against a tree as a grotesque form of a spider and woman launched itself towards the bound werewolf.

"WHEEIN!" Hyejin screamed.

The glowing blur of Yongsun's construct ran past her, pouncing onto the monstrous form and clamping its jaws onto one of its spindly legs just before it could reach Wheein. The monster shrieked, waving and struggling to shake off the summon.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

At the ground and limbs webbed together was Byulyi, a grin on her face like she wasn't in any life-threatening danger.

"Byul!" Yongsun suddenly pulled out a metal rod, which suddenly turned into a short sword in a flash, then she was placing the sword onto Hyejin's hand. "Help Byulyi while I distract that thing."

'That thing' screeched, finally able to shake off the astral wolf that dissipated into dust as it crashed on the ground. 

"Yah, over here ugly!" Yongsun shouted as she ran towards the monster. She pulled out her crossbow from its holster, aiming at the monster's head and shooting. Hyejin flinched at the shrill scream as the metal bolt landed true, exploding against the monster's face and making it reel.

"Oi priestess, I'm not getting out of these with you staring at Yong all day."

Hyejin jumped, remembering her task and turning around to face the bound blonde. 

"Careful now, that's silver. Gonna hurt like a freaking bitch if you nick me with that."

"What are you even?" Hyejin found herself asking as she carefully cut through the web. 

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," the blonde shot back, canines in display as she grinned widely. "I'll give you a hint, I'm not like your pet."

"Yah!" Hyejin's complaint died off as Byulyi sprung back to her feet, swiping the sword out her hands in one fluid motion. Byulyi tipped an imaginary hat at her, before sprinting towards Yongsun.

Hyejin was frozen in place, watching in awe as Yongsun and her partner worked like well-oiled gears, moving in tandem as they methodically wore down the spider-like creature. Yongsun summoned a myriad of spells, ranging from her astral constructs, imbuing her crossbolts with elemental magicke, and summoning mine hexes around the beast. Meanwhile, Byulyi got up close and personal, weaving around the gangly limbs that struggled to try and catch the quick blonde as she left long and bleeding wounds on any surface the silver sword caught on to.

Hyejin started to feel worried as she noticed the way Yongsun's hand shook with every spell she conjured.

The spider creature reeled, shrieking out in pain as another one of Yongsun's bolts exploded on its body. Byulyi yelped, getting caught in the abdomen as it swung its long appendages, flying off and rolling onto the ground with a groan on her lips.

"Byul!" Yongsun turned towards her partner, distracted and not seeing the creature slinking up to her with inhuman speed.

"Look out!"

Yongsun looked back, unable to react in time as a long limb sent her flying, landing a few feet away from Hyejin.

"Ugh, not again…" Yongsun groaned out, eyes shut tight as she clutched at her abdomen. Hyejin saw the spider crawling towards Yongsun, a shrill scream on its grotesque lips that was a mix of a human and a spider's pincer. 

Her body moved on its own, driven by an instinct to protect the bounty hunter. Hyejin could hear the blood rushing in her ears, her hands raised up above her as she protectively stood before the bounty hunter. Four black limbs crashed against a bright white barrier, before the creature jerked back with a screech as smoke started coming off from where it connected with Hyejin's holy magicke.

Before it could properly orient itself, Byulyi landed on its back, swinging her sword multiple times on one of its limbs.

"Why. Is. This. Fucking. Hard." Hyejin heard Byulyi gritting out between clenched teeth, struggling to hold onto the creature that was wildly trying to shake off the blonde.

"Hyejin, get back!" Yongsun pulled her protectively behind her, an arm out in front of her that glowed with a fire spell. "It's too dangerous!"

Byulyi shouted as she lost her grip, a black limb swatting her off and making her crash a good distance away. 

"Byul!" Yongsun fired off the spell, a powerful ball of red fire that scorched the front of the creature.

The creature let out a shrill cry, its eight limbs stumbling around before a familiar blonde took a hold of one of its limbs, the very same limb Byulyi was hacking at earlier.

"Wheein!"

The werewolf pulled at the limb, and with a loud snarl, she snapped off the monster's leg.

 _"No!"_ The monster screeched, swiping at the werewolf with its other limbs. A white substance dripped from its lips, before it spat out what Hyejin realized was its web at the wolf. Fortunately, the wolf dodged the web in time.

"Nice one!" Byulyi darted forward, swinging her sword upward, catching the spider on its human part and cutting off another of its limbs. Black blood gushed from where its human arm used to be, spilling out in chunks as a foul smell filled the clearing. "Oh hells, that's fucking nasty!"

_"You fools! You dare—"_

"Yeah, shut up, you ugly bitch." Byulyi weaved between the monster's legs, holding onto her sword with both hands as she swung with all her might at another leg that taken hits from Yongsun's spells from before. The monster staggered back as it lost another one of its legs.

Suddenly down to six of its limbs (and three human ones), the spider-like creature let out an enraged shriek. 

 _"I will not die! Not to fools like you!"_ It swiped an arm forward and they all had to brace for the sudden wave of powerful magicke. Byulyi let out a shout as she was sent flying for the umpteenth time, while a snarl  wrenched itself out of Wheein's lips as she was sent after the other blonde. As the vile energy crawled along her skin, Hyejin suddenly realized what the creature that they were facing really was.

"It's her!" Hyejin heatedly whispered. Yongsun turned her head towards her, her arms forward and holding a barrier against the onslaught. "It's the witch!"

"What? How—" Yongsun gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her furrowed brows. "So that's what happened. Her greed for power corrupted her."

Yongsun pulled back an arm, the barrier weakening for a moment that Hyejin instinctively raised her own arms to support the barrier. Hyejin could hear Yongsun speaking underneath her breath, flecks of blue glowing within her brown irises as her free hand sparked with electricity. With a shout, she thrust her hand forward, a white lance of holy lightning shooting out of her palm and hitting the witch straight on her chest.

The witch cried out, collapsing onto the ground in a mess of twitching limbs as smoke came off its form.

"I should—" Yongsun suddenly let out a groan, nearly collapsing on her knees had Hyejin not caught her. It wasn't all that hard to notice the sweat dripping off from Yongsun's temples, the shaking of her arms and the way her breaths were labored.

"Unnie, you're exhausted."

Yongsun cracked a smile. "Me? Nah, I can do this all day."

"Unnie…" Hyejin pulled at Yongsun's arm, turning her attention away from the monster for a moment. "I can see you shaking, you can't keep—"

Yongsun tried to jerk out of her hold, but Hyejin held on. "Hyejin, what are you doing?"

"I can feel it, unnie!" Hyejin shouted back, holding tight on Yongsun's hand. "You can't keep using your magicke or—" Her voice got caught in her throat as the implications of a magical exhaustion on Yongsun ran through her head.

A grating voice started cackling, startling the both of them. 

 _"Me? You think you could beat me?"_ They watch with bated breath as the witch stood, a strange fluidity in her motions that sent shivers up Hyejin spine. _"I REFUSE TO DIE HERE!"_  

Suddenly a black fog started filling up the clearing, countless red eyes within them. As it got closer, Hyejin realized with a beat that what she thought was a fog was actually millions of spiders, ranging in all sizes and form.

"Holy fucking shit!"

Byulyi was suddenly standing beside them with a dazed Wheein hanging off her shoulder.

"Yong?"

"Wait, I got this." Yongsun raised a shaky arm only for Hyejin to pull it back down. 

"You can't!"

"Hyejin! I have to!"

Hyejin bit her lip, her mind working in a whirl. Magicke— the Matron's image was the witch's focal, slowly siphoning the magicke and essentially the souls from the villagers. But it wasn't enough and she started to take the men themselves.

She was forcibly taking magicke, the people's souls from them.

_That's it!_

Magicke could be given, this Hyejin knew.

Everything seemed to slow down as Hyejin's perception turned inward, a completely different clearing filling her mind. Everywhere she looked was a field of flowers, covering the whole ground as the sky reflected a starry night. Swaying right in the middle of the field was a familiar blue thread, weaving through the petals and the stems before disappearing off towards the distance. Hyejin slowly approached it. Carefully, she cradled the thread between her hands, and feeling a faint response from its other end—a far cry from the power she felt when she first held it.

She breathed in slowly, reaching even deeper within herself in hopes of finding that strange well of power that she accidentally tapped into earlier.

Wind fluttered through her hair and the smell of roses lingered around her nose. Suddenly she could feel a heat on her back—it was a presence she had never felt before and yet it bore a strange familiarity. Hands tipped with long white nails, the skin the same bronze as her own cradled her hands, the blue tether clasped between them.

 _'You need only ask, my dear,'_ a voice like dark velvet husked into her ear, clutching hard on her hands and on the thread before her vision turned white.

Outside her magicke's core, and in the waking world, Yongsun had raised her arm once more. She was whispering another spell despite the shaking of her arms. On her other side, Byulyi uselessly swung her sword against the huge cluster of spiders that crept ever closer.

Just as Yongsun took the last of her reserves, the edges of her vision turning black with exhaustion; a well of power overflowed from within Hyejin—flowing and tipping over the edge, surging through the thread that connected their souls, and filling Yongsun to brim that has her gasping in surprise.

Holy light flew from her outstretched hand—like white lightning that fanned out and ravaged the cluster summoned by the witch. The shrill cries of the dying arachnids filled the clearing, smoke and the smell of burning flesh permeating the air. It crawled along the ground, devouring anything unholy in its wake before it converged together, coalescing into a small sun that shoot towards the witch like a star.

 _"NO!"_ The witch raised her hand, summoning a barrier that uselessly broke underneath the destructive storm of holy magicks. Her ear-splitting scream filled the night. Hyejin watched with wide eyes as holy light devoured the witch herself, scorching through her skin and through her bones and everything in between.

As the last vestiges of the witch's agony faded into the night, Hyejin felt Yongsun grip hard on her shoulders, pulling her against her lean body that was violently shaking. Yongsun breathed harshly against her ear, a hand cradling the back of her head and pressing her face against the woman's collars, while an arm tightly wound itself around her waist. 

Hyejin could still feel the last of the strange power lingering around her chest, and pressed like this against the bounty hunter, she could feel the powerful beating of Yongsun's heart.

_"What the fuck was that?"_

Gently, Yongsun pushed her away. Hyejin glanced up at the bounty hunter's face and seeing a brief flash of blue and yellow flecks in her eyes; but as she blinked, her eyes faded back to their usual soft browns. 

"Are you alright?" Hyejin found herself asking.

Yongsun shook her head, then nodding and looking like she wasn't wracked with shakes just a moment before. "All good," she answered with a smile before looking over her shoulder. "That was a bit… unexpected."

"Really?" Byulyi blurted out. Hyejin turned only to see the blonde crouched down on the ground, her leather jacket pulled over her head and awkwardly wrapped around her and Wheein. "You could've burned me and Wheepup!"

Yongsun rubbed at the back of her neck. "Good thing you got dragonhide, right?"

Byulyi stood, fixing her leather jacket on her shoulders with a sharp snap, and looking quite annoyed at Yongsun. Hyejin, on the other hand, was worried of Wheein that she didn't have the time to point at the smoke coming from the tip of the blonde's hair, or that the wound on her hairline seemed angrier than before.

The werewolf, fortunately, seemed unscathed throughout everything and Hyejin sighed in relief. She still looked a bit dazed as Hyejin helped her up from the ground however. 

"You really gone overboard, Yong," Byulyi said, now standing over where the witch had collapsed.

"I–I really didn't expect that."

Hyejin felt a small pang of shame, before she brushed it away. She helped Yongsun. If she didn't, then the bounty hunter would have collapsed from exhausting what was essentially her very soul. She didn't want to think what would happen if Yongsun did.

Hyejin and with Wheein in tow, slowly followed behind Yongsun as they approached the witch—or what was left of her.

Her skin had peeled away, revealing her blackened flesh. There was no blood, scorched away by holy magicke, nor was there a trace of any of her inhuman appendages. Her flesh was stretched across her bones like a dried-up corpse. 

The witch suddenly twitched, making Hyejin jump and cling tighter to Wheein.

"She's still alive?" She blurted out in surprise.

Byulyi swung her sword, beheading the witch in one swift movement. 

"And now off with her head!" 

"Byul!" Yongsun clicked her tongue at the blonde who grinned back in reply.

Hyejin looked away, unable to look anymore at the witch's horrific state. 

"You should head back to the inn," Yongsun said, placing a hand over her shoulder. "We still have to deal with the witch's body. The magicke she had used attracts even darker entities. We—" she paused, as if searching for words and Hyejin didn't really want to know what they intend to do with the witch's… body. "We're going to have to bury her." 

Hyejin nodded. She doubted the witch will be getting a normal six-foot deep grave.

Yongsun smiled, her eyes soft as she brushed back an errant lock behind Hyejin's ear. "We'll talk about what happened later, okay?"

Hyejin nodded again as she answered with a soft "okay."

Somehow Hyejin was able to find the way back to the inn without getting lost and while guiding a strangely subdued Wheein. 

Hyejin immediately collapsed on their bed, pulling Wheein next to her. Exhaustion settled on her bones like a heavy blanket and she found herself wrapping her arms around her best friend. She thought that sleep would come easy to her as tired as she felt at that moment, but her mind wouldn't stop whirling with everything that just happened. But most of all, her mind wouldn't stop replaying the words that the witch had told her.

"Wheein, I was so scared when I woke up and you were gone. I thought you ran away, I—" Hyejin paused, feeling her throat closing up as her eyes started to sting. "I didn't know what to do, and then I saw you, caught in that web. I don't know what I would do if something bad had happened to you."

She wanted nothing more than to hear Wheein's voice speaking to her.

 _'Consumed by regret perhaps? Unwilling to face the mistakes she made that she hides behind her wolf...'_ the witch's grating voice rang in her head.

Hyejin clenched her eyes, feeling the tears trailing down her cheeks. "Y–you must regret so much running away with me." Hyejin sniffed, biting back the sobs that choked her.

"Don't cry…" a voice rasped out.

Hyejin's head snapped up, her eyes meeting familiar browns—eyes she never thought she'd see again.

"Wheein?"

A hand brushed at her cheeks, rough fingers wiping away the tears. "I don't regret running with you, Hyejin. Stop being stupid."

Hyejin laughed, throwing her arms around those thin shoulders and squeezing tight. "Oh gods, I missed hearing your voice."

"Was I gone?" Wheein asked softly and Hyejin pulled back a bit to see genuine confusion on her face.

Did Wheein really not remember what happened? There was so much that happened, where would Hyejin start? "It's a long story," Hyejin said slowly, but it was followed closely by a long yawn.

"You look tired," Wheein pointed out, a furrow on her brows that Hyejin wanted brush away. Then she looked around, "how did we get here again?"

Hyejin giggled, feeling a lightness in her chest as she brushed a thumb over a dark brow. "I told you, it's a long story." Hyejin sighed, dropping her head back on Wheein's chest. The steady thumping of her heart made Hyejin feel at ease. 

"Go to sleep then," Wheein told her, running her fingers through her long locks in calming strokes that almost has Hyejin melting against her.

"But—" Hyejin raised her head, a worry lingering to the front of her mind. What if the wolf was back instead of Wheein?

"I'll be here," Wheein said as if reading her mind. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You better be." Hyejin sighed once more, this time settling flushed against Wheein. "I really did miss you."

Wheein hummed softly, eyes fluttering shut. "I still don't know why you keep saying that."

"I told you—"

"It's a long story, I know," Wheein interrupted with a laugh. "Just go to sleep, Hyejinie."

Hyejin pressed a smile on Wheein's collar. "Goodnight, Wheeinah."

* * *

"They're gone," Byulyi stated, stabbing her sword on the witch's chest. "Now, are you gonna explain what in seven hells just happened?"

Yongsun didn't really know how to explain it. At one moment, she thought she was about to collapse, then she felt energized all of the sudden. She could still feel the magicke crawling along her veins and dare she say it, feel like she could take ten more witches or warlocks. She couldn't describe it. It felt like she was drowning in Hyejin's presence… only it didn't felt like Hyejin.

Yongsun shook her head, no, it definitely still was Hyejin but there was something else. Something that was Hyejin and yet completely different at the same time.

Still, it wasn't unheard of to transfer one's reserves to another, and when she felt Hyejin's flowing into her… She wasn't lying when she said she hasn't felt anything like Hyejin before.

"She gave me a bit of a boost, that's all," Yongsun answered. "And we still need to deal with the witch," she added with a pointed look.

Byulyi grunted, she didn't look satisfied with her answer but she was moving down to take the witch's corpse by her ankles. The way she cradled her ribs, and the still healing wound on her hairline did not go unnoticed however.

"Byul."

"What?" Her partner snapped, shooting her an annoyed look.

Yongsun frowned. She had been keeping herself back from confronting Byulyi about this for the last few days, but after the leukrokottas and the injuries that she suffered, her wounds that were taking its time to heal when they should've been already, and now with the witch adding a few more—Yongsun refused to hold back any longer.

"You need to drink."

Byulyi froze imperceptibly; had Yongsun not have her full attention on her, she wouldn't have noticed the stiffening of her shoulders and the way her the corner of her lips curved downwards.

"No."

"Are we really going to argue about this _again?"_ Yongsun couldn't hold back from snapping, crowding on Byulyi. "Huh, Byulah?"

Yongsun could see the way Byulyi's throat bobbed, the way her dark amber eyes darted around everything but Yongsun, unable to look on her face. Yet, they kept coming down to stare at Yongsun's wrist where a silver scar she inflicted lay, like a beacon of light and Byulyi was a helpless moth drawn to it.

"I don't need—"

Yongsun growled, pushing at Byulyi's shoulder and making her stagger. From her belt, she pulled out a knife and brandishing it over her wrist.

"Wait!" Byulyi cried out, her eyes wide with a desperation that Yongsun rarely saw—only during these kinds of moments.

Yongsun raised a brow, waiting to see what the blonde will say. 

"Wait," Byulyi repeated, looking conflicted. Yongsun watched as a series of emotions passed across her face; disgust, anticipation, shame, before settling on grim resignation. "I'll do it. You don't need to do it yourself."

Yongsun sighed, she hated having to force Byulyi but the woman was always adamant that she didn't need this. She literally needed _it._ It wasn't a constant need, but she still needed it to survive, and somehow she believes that she could live without it.

It hasn't started like this, but after an incident with a High Dragon, obtaining severe injuries and another near-death experience, Byulyi decided to limit herself to once a week, and to (just recently) once a month. Yongsun respected her decision but now, injured as she was now, Yongsun had to put her foot down.

"Just take what you need."

Yongsun held out her arm, and Byulyi stared at it like it was something detestable. She rolled her eyes, shaking her arm. Byulyi gave her an annoyed look before finally taking the offered arm in her hands. The gentle way she cradled her wrist was a far contrast to her irritation. Delicately, as if dealing with flower petals, Byulyi pushed back her sleeve. A sliver of an old scar reveals itself, and as Byulyi gingerly raised her wrist to her mouth, her long canines slotted perfectly on them.

Yongsun bit back a yelp as pain blossomed where Byulyi had buried her teeth. Blood welled up from the wound, and Byulyi lapped and sucked on every bead that bled out of her wrist. Her eyes just a little bit more darker, like a burst of orange stars. Yongsun averted her eyes. She always felt weird whenever Byulyi fed from her.

It felt like an hour has passed but Yongsun knew it couldn't be just a few minutes when Byulyi first started. Slowly, Byulyi pulled away at her wrist, a tongue darting out and licking at the blood that stained her lips.

Yongsun held her wrist, already closing the wound with a simple healing spell. She checked on Byulyi, who was wiping at her mouth and was staring blankly into space. Yongsun had known the blonde for so long that she was used how Byulyi gets silent after feeding from her, and always needing a moment to herself.

So Yongsun started the task of burying (and sealing away) the witch's body. Pulling out the sword from the witch, Yongsun summoned her magicke once more to turn the sword into a shovel. Then she started to dig.

A minute later, Byulyi was silently taking the shovel from her hands to continue the task.

They worked silently together, with Yongsun drawing up runes over the grave; there were wards to keep darke creatures from accessing the body, and wards to keep things from the veil from turning the residual darkness from the witch into a portal to the waking world.

The burial itself was a quiet affair, and being topped off with Hyejin's magicke, Yongsun's runes were imbued with enough magicke that any traces of darkness in the witch's body would fade by the time her runes would start to weaken.

By the time they were back in the inn, it was only a few hours away before the sun begins to peak over the horizon. With the excess magicke now a low thrum in her veins, Yongsun could feel the exhaustion creeping up her eyes. 

She could just drop dead anywhere if she wanted to, but the call of a soft bed was too strong.

However, just as they enter their room and seeing Hyejin and Wheein asleep on one bed close to the window, Yongsun realized she missed something incredibly crucial.

Byulyi had already dropped face first on the bed (her jacket and belt already discarded to the side). The blonde twisted and turned around, staring at her before the same realization came upon her.

"I guess I got used to renting two beds, I forgot there's four of us now," Yongsun said with a grimace.

Byulyi snorted, before she was full on snickering. "Those two look comfortable. I'm a good bedmate, I promise." She wiggled her eyebrows, patting on the bed with a grin on her face.

"This is weird!" Yongsun couldn't help but blurt out.

"Well, just do whatever. I called dibs already."

Yongsun screamed inwardly. Was it worth it to try and sleep on the ground when there was a bed?

With great reluctance, she approached the side.

"Well?"

"Just scoot over!" Yongsun hissed quietly, pushing at the blonde.

As Yongsun settled next to her partner, she realized the bed was too small for the both of them and touching each other was inevitable. 

"Sooooo, not sleeping in the nude this time?"

Yongsun slapped the blonde. "Shut up."

Byulyi snickered quietly in her ear.

Yongsun wouldn't admit it in the morning, but she slept well that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing action scenes is so hardᅲᅲᅲᅲᅲ  
>  ~~Pota bat pa kasi naisip ko magsulat ng gantong genre? Can i go back to oneshots? Hahahahaㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ~~
> 
> I dumped a lot of info in this chapter and I kinda hate it ~~ugh world building why oh why did i think this was a good idea.~~ I do hope it's somewhat coherent lol
> 
> Finally! Wheein speaks whooo! And Byulyi's creature status is… I'm sure y'all figured it out by now haha. I'm sorry I dragged it out for so long (I didn't mean to! I swear!), I think it isn't as impressive as y'all thought hahahahskjahshdontkillme
> 
> Next chapter, we're finally starting the first character arc!
> 
> Please tell me your thoughts down below, I really love reading all your ideas and takes about the fic. 
> 
> To everyone that left a kudos and a comment, I love you and I appreciate the heck out of you.
> 
>  
> 
> **Chapter terminologies:**
> 
> Magicke - just to be clear: Magicke=Soul. I tried to explain it as best I could within the chapter. If you have questions or in need of clarification, don't hesitate to ask!
> 
> Focal - it's a magicke user's center of magicke outside their magical core. Multiple active spells and runes usually demands a great source of power, and a focal is where a magicke user stores their magicke that powers all these spells. The use of focals isn't exactly "Grand Church" approved.
> 
> Runes - I wasn't able to expand on the uses of runes as I'm afraid I'm sort of info dumping already, so I'll be expanding on it on future chapters (fingers crossed)
> 
> I originally planned this chapter's villain as a Jorōgumo (a literal Spider Woman in Japanese Mythology), but as I was writing my outline, my brain decided that the witch Hyejin encountered IS the one they're hunting. I feel like the whole episode got messed up tho and didn't flow as smoothly as I thought :x


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wheein wakes up to learn after running from bounty hunters that they're in the presence of another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> before we get into it, I just want to thank each and every one of you who read, reviewed/commented, subscribed, and kudos'd. All this support, I feel, is undeserving—nonetheless, thank you so much! Know that i appreciate all of you!
> 
> Okay.
> 
> after an action filled fifth chapter, things wind down in this one, definitely shorter than the last chap. this focuses more on everyone's baby, Wheein.

Yongsun woke up to a firm and yet comfortable warmth underneath her head. A steady beat thumped against her ear while her head slightly rose and fell along that warmth. She blinked, her eyes staring blankly over the window where the sun barely bled through the dirt covering it.

Along the comfortable warmth, something thrummed along her veins. She felt strangely well rested and she could feel herself wanting to go back to sleep's sweet embrace. Well, after an eventful day yesterday, she believed a whole day of rest was only well deserved. She smiled, snuggling deeper against the warmth as her eyes closed shut.

A strained chuckle had her snapping her head upright.

"Someone's feeling comfortable."

Yongsun promptly fell off the bed with a strangled cry, crashing on the wooden floor in a mess of tangled limbs.

Byulyi raised herself on her arms, looking over the side of the bed with a shit-eating grin on her face.

"This isn't—" Yongsun could feel the heat on her face and she couldn't look at Byulyi in the eyes. "Oh, shut up!"

The blonde snickered at her.

Yongsun stood from the floor, brushing the dust off her clothes. She hoped to the gods that Hyejin (and Wheein) didn't see her embarrassing display but as she looked over their bed, she was surprised to find it empty.

"Where are they?" She found herself asking, her moment of embarrassment replaced by confusion and the slight twinges of worry. 

Byulyi shrugged at her, before stretching out. "I dunno, I woke up to them already gone. Since one of them is a newly turned werewolf, they're probably downstairs eating the tavern's stockroom empty."

Yongsun nearly didn't want to ask. "How long were you awake…?"

Byulyi smirked, dark amber eyes twinkling with mischief that poked at Yongsun's patience for the blonde. "Long enough to know you talk. That, and you really stink."

Yongsun ran a hand over her face, inwardly screaming.

"We should probably get some breakfast," Yongsun said after a while. "I could eat a horse."

Byulyi gasped dramatically. "You'd betray Jingjing?"

"Oh you know what I mean!" Yongsun snapped, feeling a certain headache coming back from her partner's antics. She walked over her bag (patting herself on the back for remembering to bring it up last night), and rifled through her stuff for a clean shirt. 

Byulyi was right, she really did stink. 

She briefly wondered if the inn has a bath she could use.

"Hey, have you seen my belt?"

Yongsun looked over to Byulyi. "Didn't you throw it over there?" She pointed over where she last saw the blonde had thrown her belt along with her jacket.

"Yes! But it's not here!" Byulyi was turning the room upside down in her search, and Yongsun could feel the familiar prickling of annoyance for the blonde.

"I'm sure you'll find it," Yongsun told her before adding a little quietly, "serves you right for being a slob."

"I heard that!"

Yongsun childishly stuck out her tongue towards Byulyi's back.

Yongsun tidied up her things (pointedly ignoring the mess Byulyi made), before noticing that the girls' stuff were now gone. _'They must've brought it down with them,'_ she thought. She glanced over the window.

The air felt a little lighter now, and the sun a bit more brighter. The odd presence pressing and prodding against her barriers yesterday were now gone and Yongsun felt like nothing could sour her mood—even her partner.

Well, except maybe for the growling of her stomach.

Chuckling quietly to herself, she went to look for her coin pouch, but as she sifted through her stuff, she couldn't find the purse where she remembered leaving it. She didn't remember being this messy either, making a mental note to sort her things later. 

After breakfast of course.

"Did you take my purse?" Yongsun finally asked, turning towards her partner.

"No," Byulyi answered tersely, throwing her bag over the bed with an annoyed sigh. "I can't find my belt and now your purse is gone. I swear if those two stole them—"

"I doubt that." Yongsun said that but she couldn't help that tiny seed of doubt sprouting at the back of her head. "We should just check downstairs."

When they got downstairs, the first thing Yongsun noticed was the barkeep and a lone patron talking over the bar, and the lack of a certain priestess and her blonde werewolf friend.

Yongsun was confused. Could the girls had gone outside?

"That hells raised woman, can't believe she's missing again."

"Who? Suhwa? Wasn't she working here yesterday?"

"Yes, yesterday, but I need her today. Honestly, don't know why am still paying her. Fucking bitch."

Yongsun walked over the bar and the two men paused in their conversation. "Excuse me, have you seen a girl and her friend go through here?"

The barkeep looked over at her, giving her a once over before answering, "Sorry luv, didn't see nothing."

"Oh, I see. Thanks." Yongsun pursed her lips, brows furrowed together. She was starting to get worried. Could someone had taken them? How could they have disappeared like that?

"Yong."

Yongsun turned around to see Byulyi standing over the entrance, an arm on the door to keep it open. 

"The horses are gone," Byulyi said as if she was talking about something nonsensical that it took a moment before it clicked in Yongsun's head.

"What?!"

Yongsun marched outside only to see that, yes, Jingjing and Debakie was gone.

"I thought you got a hex to protect the horses?" 

Yongsun shook her head, feeling a whole mix of emotions whirling inside her head. Thoughts came slow and she found herself automatically answering Byulyi, "I do, but I had it keyed to all four of us."

"Basically," Byulyi stomped forward, gesturing over the empty space where they had hitched their horses. "They could easily steal from us if they wanted to!"

"No! Maybe— Maybe they needed to go somewhere. They wouldn't— Hyejin wouldn't—"

"Yong!" Byulyi slapped both of her hands on her shoulders, shaking them. "Listen to yourself! Our stuff are gone, we have no fucking money, and Jingjing and Debakie are gone! We got robbed by two pretty faced bandits!"

"They're not bandits!" Yongsun snapped back.

"Why do you think they're running, huh?" Byulyi continued, jabbing a finger towards the main road. "Not only that, but they have Templars after their asses!"

Yongsun bit her lip. She didn't know what to think. Had the oath been clouding her mind? Why would Hyejin do this?

"We have to find them," she said after a while. She needed answers, and it was useless trying to make excuses for them. She really didn't want to think so negatively of Hyejin when she had shown herself to be quite a vulnerable girl—someone like her who showed genuine care and affection to her afflicted friend, Yongsun couldn't imagine the priestess bearing any ill intentions. Was it facade? Yongsun believed it wasn't so. Something must've made them run and Yongsun wanted to know what.

"Definitely," Byulyi agreed. "I think a proper talking is long overdue." Byulyi cracked her fist, grinning widely but a tic on the corner of her eye told her that she was fuming.

"We're just talking to them, alright?" Yongsun told the blonde.

"Oh don't worry, I won't hurt them… much."

* * *

Loud.

Everything was loud, like a flock of birds decided to nest inside her ear while a crowd going about their day on the other. 

She nearly gagged, her nose scrunching up.

Ugh. That smell. What is that?

It reminded her of open carcasses, with crows tearing away on paper thin skin and feasting on half-rotten flesh.

Wheein felt the sun on her face, her face scrunching up as it bled through the slits of her eyelids. She turned her head away from the light, pressing her face against the familiar warmth clutching at her side. It didn't help relieve the headache beating against the walls of her skull. In fact, the moment she breathed in, she found herself choking in her own breath as the overpowering fragrance of roses filled her lungs and coated her tongue, and electrified every part in her body.

She reared away, her flailing arms meeting empty space and then she was falling off the bed. Before she realized what had happened, her body moved on its own, twisting in midair and landing on her hands and feet.

 _"What the fuck?"_  

She could see every grain on the wooden floors—the minute dust filling every crack and floating up with every ragged breath that escaped her gaping mouth. Then right at the corner of her eyes, where familiar dark locks should be was now replaced by an unfamiliar platinum blonde.

 _“What the actual fuck?”_ she exclaimed quietly, grasping at the strands, pulling at it and feeling the unmistakable pain on her scalp. “How—?”

A soft murmur—no, it might as well be a shout right next to her ear—made her jerk her head up in surprise. Her eyes briefly roved over the sleeping priestess' face, feeling a bit relieved at the sight of her long-time friend but the rhythmic breathing and soft snores from the other bed caught her attention.

Unbeknownst to her, a growl started to bubble up from her throat; the sound getting cut off mid-way as Wheein realized what she was doing. Something was pacing around the edges of her mind, poking and prodding at her barriers. Something told her not to let it in, to keep it out and away from her thoughts. Her attempts only made it angrier it seemed as the prodding turned into a force beating against her skull, worsening her headache.

 

**̶̴̵̴̡̧̡̛̻̟̦̣͔̝̱͈͙̝̹̠̖̊͐̐͆̈́̅̏͂͘͝͞ ̵̧͕̖͓̬̙̬̞͕͉̣̰̤̞͇̱̮ͥ̃ͬ͂̕̕͡ ̇ͤͨ̉̌̑̑͗͆ͩ̀̌͝ ̨̢͍̬͚̭̝̭͕̣͕̟̾ͭ͒̽͘͢͞ ̶̶̵̢̛̛̖͙̩͙̃̈́͆̏͐̓̐ͤ͛ͪ̆ͨ̏̄̌͋ͬ̊͜͟͜͏̵̧̢̛͟͜͝͝k͑̓̑̂̽̽ͧ̅̄͊͆ͭ҉̴͏̷̶̷̕̕͘̕͠i̴̵̹͈̙͈͚͛̊̍͒͟͝͏̨͢͠҉̵̶̴̧̢̛͘͡l̶̷̸̢͈͈͖͔͉̞̪̻̖̪̜̰̱̗̍ͣ̍͋̒̓͢ͅͅl̸̵̡̧̛̹̽̊̐̃͆̃ͨ̋͏̛̕̕͡͡ ̶̶̧̛̹̬̜̦̰̥̒̏̈͘͝͏̴͜͜t̶̵̢̛̤͉̮ͣ͆̍̄̐ͫ͐ͩ̌̓͋ͮ̓̚̚͟h̸̶̸̘̬͕̖̜̞̤͇̼̗̰̱̦̗̫̮͍̦̖͎ͭ͛̄̐̌̓̑ͣ̆ͬ̈́ͤ̑̌ͭͪ̍̿̚͟͏̵̷̶̛̕͜͟͞͡e̢̟͐ͬ͋ͫ̆ͮ̐ͭ͛ͥ̑̓̄ͦͨ̊̆̈́ͣ̋̕̕͢͟͜͝͞m̵̛̖̮͍͖͉͍̠̮̟̗̫̗͉̮̘̅̓́̈́̍̅͆̆ͦ̏̂̽ͫ́̇͊̀͑͘͞҉̶̷̶̨̡͘͟͟͞͏̧̕͡͡͠.̷̖̟̜͍̝̤͍̺̹͎̟̟̍̉̎̑͌ͯ̂̽ͦ̉ͭ̆ͥ̃ͬ̐ͤ̒͌͠҉ ̢̟͇̮͕̟̹̦̥̬̙̜̯̩̳͌̀̌̔͒ͤ́͆͌̆ͮ͆͛̂ͦ̎ͩ̏͌̕͢͏ ̶̶̨̡̢̨̨̛͎̝̝͛͊̔̿ͦ̄̈́̐̄̌ͯ̚͘̕͞͝͝͡҉̵͏̛ ̶̱̻̗͍̫̼̺̯͚̭͎̣͈̬͖ͯͩ͐͊ͨ̓̌͗̈̔̾͌ͮ͐͂̕͢͝ ̶̢̨̢̛̝̯̗͔̬̟̯̘͎̜̤͔̳͒̆ͮ͌ͦ̃̅͘̕͢͟͢͜͝͠**

  
  


Wheein clutched her head, the sound of grinding filling her ears as pain lanced right between her eyes, her jaw aching.

The pain went as it came, leaving Wheein trembling on her feet as her breaths came in shaky intervals.

 _Danger!_ Her mind screamed, every cell in her body pushing her to run—to leave, to save herself—

_—and Hyejin._

_No, calm down, Jung Wheein._

Immediately, her mind went to asses her surrounding. 

They were in an inn—a fact Wheein remembered she had already noticed last night. She had no idea how they got there but the sleeping figures at the other bed must be the reason.

_They helped us?_

But Wheein couldn’t shake the doubt niggling at the back of her mind.

Why would a bunch of strangers help them? 

Did they know what they did?

What _she_ did?

What _she_ is?

_A monster—_

_Shut up._

Focus, Wheein. Find answers. Worry later.

Wheein went to look for their stuff, finding it right at the foot of their bed. She briefly rifled through them, finding that everything seemed to be in place.

Except for that folded piece of parchment.

Confused, she unfolded it.

She remembered the days of squinting on signs and paper, seeing the lines and the strokes and unable to make any sense of it—until she met Hyejin. It took her a while to learn but Hyejin was patient with her.

But she didn’t need to read to recognize the symbol of the Grand Templars.

A beat, before her heart started racing once more. Her heart dropped as she scanned through every line.

_'This is the official order of the Grand Church, to be_  
_exact by the Grand Templars and their affiliates:_

_It is to be known that there are reports of a werewolf_  
_in Jeon, and it’s known areas,_

_The beast is responsible for the disappearance of the_  
_Head Priest of Jeon Monastery, Lee Seunghoon and_  
_the death of the apprentice Priestess, Ahn Hyejin._

_The suspected culprit, murderer and childe of_  
_Mistress Death herself,_  
_Jung Wheein_

_A boon shall be provided to any that answers this_  
_Holy Call—the beast's pelt, to be presented, in proof_  
_of its death. But a far greater reward to the beast's_  
_capture._

_Anyone seen in association of the beast is to be taken_  
_as well._

_—_

_By order of the Grand Church, the Matron's Will shall_  
_be done—’_

It was an order for her death or—for a larger bounty—her capture. Neither of those mattered as both were the same to her.

What worried her was they were in grave danger.

Hyejin was in danger.

 _They know,_ she thought with impending dread.

_My fault—_

_It’s my fault._

She has to fix this.

She has to.

She—

She froze as she saw her hunting knife.

A sudden chill went up her spine.

 

̵̡̡̰̘̠͔̟͚̖̹͈̝̮͇̪̫͂́ͥ̉ͫ̍͒ͯ̋̕͘͠͞͠ͅ҉ **̥͇͎̠͉̘̙̬̪̝͇͇͉̥ͩ̏̑ͭͤ̏ͥͫͧͣͪ̃̈́ͨͅ҉̷͏̶̢̢͘͘͟͠ ̸̨͔̜͔̫̜̥̯͔̓͋͆̔̀̋ͨͫͦ̔͊̔ͮ̈̔͗͐̚̚̕̕͢͢͠͠ͅ͏̴̸̢̡̧̛̛͞ ̶̴̴̢̡̧͎͙̟̞̣̽ͤ́̏͐ͥͤ͘͜͢͟͝͡͡͏̢̢͠͡ ̶̸̢̛̖̪͎̙͈̖̳̇̾ͬͧͥ̉̎̄̿̇͜͏̡̢̨̢b̷̨̡̳̞̬̙̙͕̲̟͓͔ͯ͘ḻ̢̼͑̎͏͘͜͏̶̴̧̛͢͢҉̸̧̛͟͜o̵̡̧̧̧̤͈̭ͬ̔ͮͦͪ̔ͥ̑̾̍͘͝͝͏̷̛̕͠ǫ̸̶̴̧̢̡̰͖̜̥͚̗̹̗̎̂͆ͤͮ͊͆̅͠͡͠ͅd̷͖̬̻̻̘̻͕͖̲̐̄͒͘͟͝͝ͅ҉̴̕͟͡͡ ̷̸̸̢̧̧̨̡̛̹̫̖̬͕̠ͧ̌҉̷͏b̷̶̶̨̧̡̺̬̖̬͎̔ͭ̎̌ͣ͛̌̔ͣͯ̇̓̎͊̈̈́̈́̋͘̕͟͢͝͡͞͡͡l̶̢̠̽̇͆̌̎̋͛ͪ̅͆̓ͩ͡͝ö̷̷̱̝̖̲̼̬̣̝̟͕̲͔͚̲̼͚̗́ͭ̇ͪ̍̈́͗̅͊ͣ̓̾̆̏̒̇̈͟͟ô̷̸̭̰̻͎͍̫͙͍̝̼̐̅̿̾ͯ̒͑̅ͤ͌ͦ̒̎̽̊̔ͦ̍̈͟͞ḑ̵̵̴̸̸̛̦͙̯͖̯̤͍̭̲͓̞̯̩͈̘͌ͩ̒͒̍̿ͤͪ̍ͮ̕̕͜͜͡͞͞͝ ̢̥͍̺͖̭̦ͨ͛̉̏͗̍͗̑ͭ̂̿̄̏҉̕̕͏̶̡̢̕̕͢͏̸̕͢͝҉͢b̨̧̞̳̱͖̪̯̭̯̞͎̤͓̣͙͚̫̗ͯ͐̔̌̂ͮͮͭ̉͊̓ͬ̋̅͌̍͋͆̚l̵̵̻̩̦̣̭̗̤̫̼͍̓ͫ̀̆͂͆ͬͤ̀̆̑́ͩ͗̐ͤ͟ơ̶̷̴̸̸̶̢̡͙͔̺̗̤̲̙͈̠̯̣̤͕̺̣̼͖͈̔̋̊ͮ̃̍̈́͑̾ͩͦͯ̐̇͜͢͠͡͝͞ͅo̶̴̧̟͚̯̙̦̥̺̫̰͗͐̊̕͞҉ḑ̷̸̡̜͕̪͉̦̜ͣ̆̉́̒̽̚͘͞͞͡ ̮̝̲̫̩͚̜̜̱̲̜̩̬̲͑ͭ̆͆͂ͬͯͪ̊҉̵̸͞҉҉̶̷̛̕̕͜͝͡ ̶̵̵̧̨̧̡̛̰ͣ̍̽̕̕͞͡ ͚̈͂̾̓ͨͦͣ̚̚ ̶̷̶̨̛̳̩̹͕̺͇̞͉̓͐͑͂ͭ͋̇ͩ̎̓̉̈́ͥ̈̂̓̊́̕͘͟͜͡͠ ̡̛̯̰̥͎̯̬̣̦̠̺̼͉̥̠́̔ͫͬ̃̋̑́̂͌̏ͤ̕͢**

  
  
  


She grasped at its hilt—

_—wet with blood not mine not mine—_

She looked up at the strangers at the other bed.

_They’ll hurt us—_

_They’ll hurt Hyejin—_

_—hurt Hyejin—_

_—I won’t—_

_I won’t let them—_

  
  


_̵̢̨̧̡̭̰̭̜̭̭̰̥͈̺̭̙̩̠̮͕̍̐̇̀͒͑̽̌͋ͩ̅̔ͮ͑̇͗ͥ̚͢͞_ **̵̨̯͓̯͓̰̪̗͕̫̫͈͉͓̹̹̲̩̩ͥ͐̏̓̋̽͂͘ͅ͏̶̨͜͞ ͕̯͔̤̠̫̣͓̥̼̙̤͙͓͛ ̛͙̗̦͓̳̠̹̣͖͔̳͙̖͔̲͙̼ͬ̌ͯͨ̑͌̇ͤ̽̄͆̃̂̈̄ͣͤ͏͜ ̷̸̴̸̧͎̻͙͉̮̱͓̟̱͚͙̤̫̘̥͔ͩͮͯ̓͗͂̍ͥ̂̈́̔ͬ͑̉ͬ̒́̂̕͘͟͞ͅ͏̷̨͢҉͢k̷̷̶̸̡̦̦̠̳͍̞͓̳̰͔̮̮͖͓͔͓̰̯͎͊̿͛̿͌̐̓͆̌̎̃̍̓͡͡i̼̗̮͍̳̣̜̝͔̎ͯ̿̏͊̅ͪ͟ͅl̫̤̖̫̘̖̼̼͙͕̫͈̲͚̺͈͖̜͛̋̊ͩ͒͂ͯͩͥ͂̚҉̡͟͠҉̵̢̛̕̕͝͡͡l̷̸̵̷̡̨̨̲̯̗̺͈̗̪͖̞̒̑ͮͯ̏̌̄͑͟͜͢͟͜͢͠ ̷̵̵̤̠͙̳̯̻͙̼͖̻̤͉̤̱̤͉̰̿͊̉̈̈́̄̂̃͘͜͠͝͞͡҉̶̸̧̨̕͢͡t̸̢͔̰͇̰̲ͨ̀̍ͩ̉ͧ̑ͮͮ͂̋́͋̚̕͢͜͠ĥ̫͍̼̞̮̠̬̩͎̙̂ͬ̓҉̸͝ë̛͖̺͚̳̰͓̙̦̲̻͕͉̤̻̜̹͙̪́̊̄ͯ͠ͅͅ҉̸̶͡͡ḿ̸̷̵̛ͬ͊̿ͬ̑̊̀̌̉͒̌͑̇͐ͮ͐͠.͈͇̙̟̭̫̰͔͙̠̱́ͤͪ̓ͩ̄ͬͩ ̵̴̢̛̦͉̠̺̘̺̫̯̩̠̇̿̒̒͊͑̽ͫͭ͌̔́̇̎̅̔̂̔̑̆͢͢͜͞͡ ̵̷̴̸̴̷̵̨̢̨̹̱͙̫̩̦̠̫͕̯̞̺̃̔̀͐́̾ͬ͑̈́̒ͮ̄̅̅ͣ͘͟͠͠ͅ҉͘͠ ̶̶̉̑͑ͪ̅ͦ̇̉̂ͤ̓̐͜͏̵̕̕͞ ̶̵̷̷̨̖̹͔̩͙̲̯̮͚̘͚̞̋̑̅̃ͬ̂̿͐͛͊̎̌̈̂ͤ͜͡҉**

  
  


"...in."

She whipped towards the sound, a protective instinct overriding the dark thoughts that briefly swallowed her mind; her knife now forgotten. Concern filled her lungs as she saw Hyejin twisting and turning—a scrunch between her brows and a frown on her lips.

Concern turned into alarm as tears started to fall from her eyes. Wheein clutched at Hyejin's shoulders, shaking her lightly. "Hyejinah!"

Hyejin jerked awake, her fear filled eyes looking at Wheein's and yet it felt like Wheein was staring back a mirror.

“Wheein?”

Wheein felt her heart breaking.

_Not again. Not again—_

She cupped Hyejin’s cheeks, wiping away her tears, her forehead against Hyejin’s as she wont to do every time _this_ happens.

“Hey,” she called softly, trying to meet those shaking eyes with her own. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m right here.”

“Wheein?” She didn’t think it was possible for her heart to ache more than it did at that moment—to hear that—that _fear_ in Hyejin’s voice.

“It’s just a dream, alright? Just a dream…”

“Wheein—” Wheein saw the moment the clarity returned to Hyejin’s eyes. Hyejin grasped tightly on the base of her locks that it was almost painful, another hand running a familiar path along her jaw as Hyejin hid her face against the hollow of her neck. She didn’t need to see Hyejin biting back the sobs from leaving her lips; the trembling form between her arms told her enough.

They stayed like that for a while, Wheein carefully breathing through her mouth. Her heightened sense should bother her. Knowing herself, she'd probably freak out about it later (and a certain… _curse_ that she would gladly continue to ignore), but right now, all her attention was to comfort Hyejin.

She peeked at Hyejin’s face, or tried to as she had buried her face on the crook of her neck. She spied the tears tracking down her cheek, brushing it away as best she could. She hummed underneath her breath, running her fingers through Hyejin’s long locks as she slowly swayed the two of them.

“I’m okay,” Hyejin said after a long while, pulling away and wiping at her cheeks.

Wheein felt her throat dry—it was like all this time, she was seeing the world with blurry eyes, which she knew she wasn’t. Everything looked clearer, like a wooly blindfold was finally removed from her eyes. It was like she was seeing Hyejin for the first time. She looked different and yet the same. She was seeing new details and features she had never seen before, but how could she, when she had known that face for so long?

“Stop staring at me,” Hyejin said quietly, having taken her attention as something of jest, and pushing her away—or she tried to but it was like the strength of a child and it didn’t even budge Wheein the slightest. “Yah!’

“What?” Wheein realized Hyejin was actually putting force on her actions. When she still didn’t budge, Hyejin moved to push her with both hands. “Hyejin stop!”

She did, thankfully, pulling away and resting against the head board with a petulant pout on her lips.

Wheein went to quietly observe her friend, ignoring the new details and worry about her eyesight later. “Are you alright?” she asked, but the tears seemed to have embarrassed her and she refused to meet Wheein’s eyes. “Hyejinah,” she called when she refused to answer.

“I’m fine,” she answered after a few pokes on her leg. Wheein pursed her lips, she wanted to prod her friend for more but there were pressing issues at hand.

Speaking of which, Wheein looked over the occupants at the other bed. Their small ruckus didn’t seem to have woke the two and were blissfully unaware of their surroundings.

Wheein would like to keep it that way. Giving Hyejin a brief smile and a quick pat on the leg, she moved off the bed to gather their bags. She spied some extra bags at the foot of the other bed and wondered if the two had anything of importance that they could probably take. They should probably leave as quick as they can, before the two even wake up.

Wheein moved over the window; they seemed to be in a small village of sorts. She'd have to ask Hyejin where they were.

_How far are we from Jeon now?_

Wheein frowned, it probably doesn’t matter now when they’re in the presence of bounty hunters.

What was Hyejin thinking? Perhaps she didn’t know those two were bounty hunters? But that wouldn’t explain why there was a Templar's order inside her bag.

More questions that needed answers to.

Wheein rubbed at her temples, feeling an ache between her brows.

She made the mistake of breathing in through her nose.

“Bless you,” Hyejin said as she sneezed.

Wheein groaned, rubbing at her nose. There was still that smell of rot, some other stuff she couldn’t distinguish, and—

_Horses._

She looked down and sure enough, there were two horses.

_How convenient._

She looked back to Hyejin only to see her _smiling_ as she looked over the other bed. The smile— _so soft and indulgent why is she smiling at them?—_ rubbed her the wrong way, and Wheein felt pain on her palms. Her nails, long as they were, buried crescents on them.

Her anger from before returned like a brewing thunderstorm. She held her breath, trying to calm her raging thoughts. 

This was dangerous. Had the bounty hunters fooled Hyejin? Made her trust them?

Wheein inwardly cursed at herself.

This was her fault.

_Fix it._

She has to.

She pulled out her hunting knife.

She stared at it for a moment, her mind whirling.

She couldn’t possibly kill them? Could she?

_Not in front of Hyejin. I couldn’t—_

_Fix it._

_I can’t._

_Not like that._

Pursing her lips, she strapped her knife to her belt. She saw her flat cap by the nightstand, putting it on and tucking her now blonde locks right underneath.

They would have to leave then. There were horses. They could do it.

_Right then._

With a new plan in mind, Wheein heaved her bag over her shoulders and surprised herself at the ease of moving the hefty pack.

_Is this—_

Wheein shook the thought away. It wasn’t something she want to think at the moment. She heaved Hyejin’s bag over one shoulder and still both bags felt like they were nothing.

Her movements finally caught Hyejin’s attention, her mouth opening in question. Before Wheein realized it, she was right over Hyejin with a hand over her mouth. Hyejin blinked, looking just as shocked as her over the quickness of her movements.

“Stay quiet,” she told her friend, but Hyejin looked like she was about to complain. “I mean it, Hyejin.”

They stared at each other for a while before Hyejin finally relented with her eyes.

“Alright.” Wheein looked over the other bed. The bounty hunters still unawares of what had been happening.

_Good._

Wheein glanced around the room, finding a belt and a pouch strapped to it lying a few feet from the bed. That could be useful. Moving off Hyejin, she moved to pick it up, slipping it right into her bag.

“Whee—”

Wheein shushed her friend, finding her newfound agility to be quite useful as she was back on Hyejin’s with a finger over her lips. “I said keep quiet.”

Hyejin looked like she wants to bite her.

“I mean it,” Wheein said firmly. “We can’t wake them up.”

“Why—”

Wheein growled, “Hyejinah, I don’t want to tie your mouth shut.”

Hyejin's lips snapped shut, anger swirling in her eyes.

Wheein moved away. Hyejin looking angry at her only fueled her annoyance. Why does she keep asking questions? Why can’t she just trust Wheein?

Wheein huffed to herself, bending down to rifle through the bounty hunters' bags. She was alarmed at the number of weapons the two owned. She briefly contemplated stealing some but decided against it. She wouldn’t even know how to use them. At one of the bags, she found a very hefty purse, and opening it, she was unsurprised to see it filled to the brim with coins—definitely too much to be casually walking around with.

_This could help us._

Wheein quickly slipped the purse into her bag. Satisfied with her search, she turned back to Hyejin who was looking at her with a scandalized look on her face.

Wheein didn’t want to explain the casualness of her actions, not when they’re still in the room with bounty hunters.

Bounty hunters that would probably kill her if they learned Wheein just stole from them.

“Come on.” She motioned Hyejin over but her friend was still processing everything that just happened. Wheein glanced back towards the sleeping hunters, one of them—a blonde—shifting around, her brow slightly twitching.

They couldn’t possibly stay any longer.

Wheein looked back at Hyejin, her mind made up. Hyejin might hate her for this but she'd have to understand it was for their safety.

Hyejin would understand.

Eventually.

Wheein walked back towards her friend. Hyejin opened her mouth, but Wheein didn’t let her speak. In one swift motion, she pulled Hyejin right over her shoulder. 

 _“Wheein!”_ Hyejin squeaked. Wheein winced, quickly glancing back at the hunters. She sighed in relief when the pair only snuggled into each other.

_Idiots._

Wheein shook her head, quickly and quietly moving out the room before Hyejin could make any more noise and wake the pair. Hyejin didn’t made it easy, but her newfound strength made the trip down the inn a breeze.

The barkeep gave them an odd look but wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Wheein let me down this instant!”

“Hyejin, stop!” Wheein hissed, pressing Hyejin’s legs close to her front to keep them from kneeing her face.

“What’s in seven hells is wrong with you?” 

“What’s wrong _with_ you?” Wheein shot back, feeling the creeping of her headache.

“Unhand me or I swear to the Matron I will scream for help.”

Wheein groaned, dropping her friend back to her feet, who promptly went to slap her face. Wheein caught her hand before she realized what she did. 

“Let me go—”

“Did you just try to slap me?” Wheein asked in disbelief; the last time Hyejin slapped her was years ago but back then those were days spent in misunderstanding—just two persons who lived in different worlds. It was different now too.

“You manhandled me!” Hyejin shot back, looking incredibly offended. “Let me go.”

“You’re being unhelpful! I told you to come but you didn’t.”

“Well you’re acting like a complete lunatic!”

“Oh, sure,” Wheein laughed humorlessly, “I’m not the one acting comfy with fucking bounty hunters!”

“So, what if I am?” Hyejin aggressively moved towards her face.

Wheein didn’t know why but the action irked her so much.

They had their spats, they had their fights, but seeing Hyejin fighting her like this was prodding something she probably shouldn’t.

“You can’t.” Wheein bit back the rest of her words. She thought of last night, of the worry and relief in Hyejin’s eyes but she couldn’t seem to remember it when she remembered the smile Hyejin held for the hunters. “Just—” Wheein rubbed at her eyes, praying for the Matron to remove this _fucking headache._ “We have to leave, Hyejinah.”

“Wheein.” The softness in Hyejin’s voice made her look up. “We don’t have to.”

“What?” 

Did—

Can Hyejin even hear what she was saying?

“Can you even hear what you’re saying, Hyejinah?”

“Yes,” Hyejin took her hand, cradling it between hers and rubbing the back of it with her thumbs. “They’re bounty hunters, yes. But they saved you Wheein.”

Wheein scoffed, pulling back her hand. “So, they could get that higher bounty?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You couldn’t possibly not know it? I found it in our bag, Hyejin, the Templar's order.”

“That’s—” Wheein turned away, looking over the horses. Having taken care of horses her whole life, it was easy to know if a horse was well cared for, and the hunters' seemed to care enough for their horses. One was an old mare, Wheein guessed she could still run, but her eyes were on the gelding—still young, strong, he'd be good.

“They weren’t the ones carrying those orders, Wheein.”

Wheein held a hand out over the gelding, who sniffed her hand in response.

“Do you even remember what happened that night?”

She ran a hand along its cheek, up along the bridge of its nose to down its mane.

“Good boy,” the praise easily slipped between her lips.

“Wheein.”

Wheein gritted her teeth. “Hyejin, just drop it. We’re leaving.”

Wheein slung her bag over the gelding, securing the straps. She did the same with Hyejin’s bag on the mare. She untied the reins from the hitching post. Holding the mare's reins, she turned to Hyejin.

Hyejin merely stared at her hand offering the reins.

“Hyejinah.” Wheein glared at friend. 

Why is she being so difficult?

Wheein knew they were at an impasse.

“Alright,” Wheein dropped the reins when Hyejin didn’t move to take it. “Stay all you want. The Templar's are after me anyway.”

Wheein knew this was cruel of her, but her raging thoughts made it difficult for her to think of Hyejin’s feelings.

She was essentially making Hyejin chose—

_Am I? She shouldn’t even have to chose—_

Wheein mounted the gelding who shifted at her weight. She waited, feeling for any signs of the gelding throwing her off him, but he was surprisingly tame.

Perhaps a little too much.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t one to question good graces.

She gave Hyejin one last look, before leading the gelding towards the village's entrance.

She heard Hyejin curse, the sounds of her struggling to mount the mare, then the sharp snap of reins.

“Wheeinah,” Hyejin called, catching up to the gelding’s gait.

“I swear to the Matron Hyejin—”

“I know you’re scared,” Hyejin spoke over her words, moving the mare closer to her and reaching over to her arm.

“I’m just being smart,” Wheein shot back, glaring at the offending hand.

“They could help us, Wheein.”

What kind of lies were they feeding Hyejin?

Wheein felt even more frustrated than before.

“It’s either you stay or you come with me. I’m not staying.”

Hyejin tightened her hold, a look on her face that reminded Wheein of the days Hyejin coming to her to complain about her Maestros, only this time she knew it was directed at her.

“You’re being unreasonable.”

Wheein couldn’t hold back her scoff, “I’m unreasonable?”

“Yes!” Hyejin threw up her arms.

“Do you honestly believe them, Hyejin?” questioned Wheein, a little more serious than before.

Hyejin bit at her lip, and Wheein could just see her mind working at that moment. That only annoyed Wheein more than anything else.

“More than me?” the question slipped out before Wheein could stop it.

Hyejin looked hurt and Wheein mentally kicked herself.

“That’s not fair,” Hyejin said, quickly pulling back her hand and Wheein hated how she wanted to pull it back. “I’ve met them Wheein, I talked to them. They helped us. While you—”

Wheein froze, the gelding stopping with her.

“I— that’s not what I meant—”

“Fucking stay then!”

Wheein snapped the reins, pushing the gelding into a gallop.

The noise drowned out everything—the sounds of people, of their talking, shouting, and screeching. Was this the sound of village life? If so, Wheein hated how it was no different to noise—a noise that tattooed an angry beat along the walls of her head.

The moment the gelding reached the village’s entrance, the sound of the forest crashed against her ears like a runaway carriage. Sound exploded around her—the trees, the leaves, the thicket as forest critters moved between them.

That was something else she has to live with now, didn’t she?

Wheein didn’t know what to feel about that.

She really didn’t know what to feel in general.

She just wished the forest swallows her then and there.

* * *

Perhaps she had let her emotions dictate her actions.

Even then, staring down the crossroads, a rotting sign pointing at each path and directions barely even eligible, it was too late to regret them now. 

A map lay upon on her lap, her eyes boring holes on that one single spot while Hyejin bore holes at the back of her head.

Locating where they were was an easy task. It was easy to plan out their route, to get right back on the path to Yeon-Il and out of Gyeong-gi. Reading maps was perhaps one of the useful things the old man had taught her. She felt a small wave of nostalgia, she briefly wondered how he was. 

Wheein knew she was only distracting herself now, delaying that inevitable talk with Hyejin.

Hyejin chose to follow her.

She should feel victorious and yet their argument had left a dark bitter taste in her mouth.

There was a chasm between them and Wheein wanted nothing more than to close that gap.

She hated it when they fight. Hyejin, as Wheein had come to realize now, was the most important person to her. She had nothing else now—she was merely a girl with a curse.

Wheein didn’t know if she should hate herself for letting Hyejin come with her—taking her from the protection of the monastery, to what? Die out here in the wilderness, sleep with one eye open lest the hunters or the childe of the night kill them in their sleep? This was no way to live.

And yet she didn’t want to think if Hyejin hadn’t come.

But they were here now and let the Mistress Death take her if she failed to protect Hyejin from everything—

_—from herself—_

—and anything that try to take Hyejin from her.

So, swallowing her pride and feeling the dryness of her throat, Wheein turned to face her friend. She stamped down that feeling of hurt when Hyejin looked away.

“Are you angry?” Wheein asked, voice small and quiet.

She waited, staring at Hyejin as she rolled her jaw, eyes looking anywhere but Wheein. 

“I am,” Hyejin finally answered, voice just as quiet.

“Right,” Wheein said, more to herself, then adding, “I’m still not coming back to those two.”

Wheein could see the frustration in Hyejin’s eyes, in the line of her brow, in the pursing of her lips and in the heavy exhale that escaped from her nose. Wheein could imagine the gears turning inside her head, thinking perhaps the right words to convince Wheein.

But perhaps she saw the resolution in Wheein’s eyes because her shoulders dropped, her line softened and Wheein nearly held out a hand to wipe the defeat from her friend's eyes.

“Alright,” said Hyejin.

It still didn’t feel like a victory for Wheein.

Wheein sighed, she hoped her friend would move on from this as soon as possible.

Wheein pulled the gelding closer to Hyejin, reaching out to take her hand. She squeezed her hand. Hyejin looking solemn as she stared at their hands.

“You trust me,” Wheein started, feeling a strange lump stuck on her throat. “Right?”

Hyejin didn’t answer.

“Hyejinah?”

She saw the way Hyejin’s brow drew together, eyes squinting so imperceptibly that Wheein knew then that her friend was holding back her tears. Hyejin’s throat bobbed, hand finally squeezing back on hers.

“I do.”

Wheein sighed, almost in relief. She nodded to herself, pressing a quick kiss on the back of Hyejin’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

_“Will you finally listen to me, Wheein? You at least owe me that much.”_

It’s been an hour since Hyejin had dropped that question, and Wheein still hasn’t answered.

The sun has long since set, and the trees casted long shadows along the path. It was supposed to be dark and yet Wheein found her eyesight were as clear as if it were still daytime—and dare she think it, was even clearer than it was during the day.

Hyejin kept a close gait to her, jumping and shifting at every sound.

Wheein wondered why she would be scared, when the most dangerous thing in the forest right now was right next to her.

The thought nearly made her laugh.

Her dark thoughts and curse aside, they would need to set up camp.

The smartest thing to do was to get close to the nearest town as soon as possible, but the hunters probably thought of them doing just that. Wheein decided to take a bit of a detour, taking a path ways off towards Naju. It'd add a week to the already long trek to Naju but they have horses, the hunters didn’t.

Wheein knew better than to think it would be that easy to run away from a pair of hunters though. Wheein promised herself this time that nothing would take her by surprise ever again—the moon and her curse be damned.

Speaking of the moon, Wheein could feel a gap in her memories—like a set of books taken from the shelf, making it disorganized. It was easy to see the moon was past its full state, and that the course of the full moon had come and passed. Wheein knew she had turned—there was no questions about it. The enhanced eyesight, her extreme sense of smell, the quickness, the strength—all of it must've come from her turning.

All those things…

Wheein knew it was what made her dangerous.

It wouldn’t do them well for her to dwell on it however.

At the distance, Wheein could easily see the silhouette of houses. Coming a bit closer, the houses were dilapidated—rotting fences, broken down walls, collapsed roofs and barred windows. Of what used to be a town—its name long forgotten—was remnants of a past, of life and of death.

“Wheein, where—?” Hyejin cut herself off, leading the mare a little closer to the gelding to hold onto Wheein’s shirt. “What is this place?”

“A ghost town,” she answered simply. Wheein took a stock of their surroundings, spotting a cabin that looked a bit more stable than the others. “Come on.”

They dismounted the horses, tying the reins on a post. Wheein gave both some treats, mentally reminding herself to take them to a nearby stream so they could drink come morning.

Inside the cabin, Hyejin had set up their cots and had taken what used to be remnants of a table into a fire for them for the night. Wheein saw the way Hyejin sighed in relief, on how she easily lit the fire. Wheein frowned, she remembered Hyejin struggling with it just a day—no, a few days before. 

Wheein bit her lip, seeing her cot across Hyejin’s and the fire between them. She knew then that as scared as she was earlier, Hyejin was still mad at her. Hyejin then settled down on her cot, wrapping herself up in a blanket, her back to Wheein.

Wordlessly, Wheein took her cot and moved it right next to Hyejin’s. She noticed the subtle shift in Hyejin’s shoulders, on how they tensed at her approach. Wheein stared into fire, knees drawn to her chest. She resisted the urge to reach out to Hyejin.

The day had been long and settled as they were now, the questions that had been buzzing at the back of her mind had come rushing to the forefront of her thoughts.

“I turned, didn’t I?” Wheein asked to the fire. She heard rather than saw the hitch in Hyejin’s breath. “I—I don’t remember anything, Hyejin.”

Silence.

Wheein swallowed, fingers rubbing against the rough material of her shirt.

“I—I didn’t hurt you,” Wheein felt a lump in her throat, a sting in her eyes, “did I?”

The silence was unbearable and Wheein wished the ground to open up and swallow her—hells, let the Mistress take her now.

It was a while before Hyejin answered, even then it didn’t made her feel any better.

“Your... _wolf_ didn’t hurt me, Wheein.”

_‘But you did, Wheein.’_

Wheein shakily breathed out her mouth.

_Fix it._

_Fix this._

_“Will you finally listen to me, Wheein? You at least owe me that much.”_ Hyejin’s question from earlier came back. Wheein wondered if it was too late now to take that offer.

“Would you—will you tell me what happened?”

Silence again.

“I’m tired,” Hyejin said, and Wheein understood it for what it was. 

Too late.

“Alright,” Wheein's voice shook, nails digging crescents on her palms. Wheein tried one last time, anything, even just a hint that everything would be fine. “G-Goodnight, Hyejin.”

A beat, then a sigh.

“Goodnight, _Wheeinie.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live!!!!!!!
> 
> Hullo everyone, how have you been? Me? Well, a lot has happened in *looks at last update* five months ._.
> 
> Oh god, I'm so sorry everyone! I didn’t mean to take this too long to update. I've scrapped a scene multiple times, rewrote it, had at least 3k words before dropping the whole scene entirely, written in a new series of events and completely out of my outline because Wheein demands that she should be at least competent when running away from two bounty hunters. Also, why does she keep fighting Hyejin? Idiot 🙄
> 
> Okay, enough about that lol
> 
> How was the chapter? Love it? Hate it? Tell me your thoughts! It’s shorter as it’s more introspective in this one and focused mainly on Wheein. A bit of a spoiler, it'd be like that for the following chapters. If you’re here solely for Moonsun, then I might bore you as they’ll be taking a back seat for the next chapters because we have officially start the first character arc! Yay! I bet y'all already know whose arc it’s gonna be?  
> Until next time! Action will probably be coming back on the next chapter! Let’s gettit! And here's to a better new year to all of us!


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